MAIN   FLOOR    PLAN 


I  OS  ANQELES 
STATE  NORMAL  SCHOOf 


MA IX   FLOOR 

From  the  Huntingdon  Avenue  entrance  the  stairway  leads 
to  the  chief  galleries  of  all  the  departments  except  that  of 
Prints.  The  galleries  of  Prints  occupy  the  eastern  half  of  the 
ground  floor  of  the  Evans  Building,  entered  also  from  the 
Fenway. 

On  the  main  floor  the  galleries  of  Chinese  and  Japanese  Art 
and  of  Western  Art  are  reaehed  directly  from  the  Rotunda  on 
either  hand.  The  galleries  of  Paintings  are  reaehed  through 
the  Tapestry  Gallery,  opening  opposite  the  stairs.  The  galleries 
of  Egyptian  Art  and  Classical  Art  open  from  the  end  of  the 
right-hand  (Coptic)  corridor.  In  all  these  departments  the 
exhibits  are  arranged  chronologically  as  far  as  practicable. 

The  Library  is  over  the  main  entrance.  In  re-cognition  of 
the  gift  of  its  fittings  in  memory  of  the  late  William  Morris 
Hunt,  it  lias  received  the  name  of  the  William  Morris  Hunt 
Memorial  Library.  The  books  are  not  from  Mr.  Hunt's  library. 
but  are  the  collection  gathered  by  the  Museum  during  the 
past  forty  years.  The  pictures  and  tapestries  on  the  walls  are 
also  from  the  Museum  collections.  The  Library  stack  is  not 
open  to  visitors. 

The  William  Morris  Hunt  Memorial  Gallery,  containing 
paintings  and  drawings  by  Mr.  Hunt,  is  over  the  Library,  and 
is  reached  by  the  elevator  at  the  right  of  the  entrance  hall 


UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA 
AT  LOS  ANGELES 


HANDBOOK 

OF 

THE    MUSEUM    OF 
FINE    ARTS 

BOSTON 


THE   FENWAY 


HUNTINGTON   AVENUE 


Twelfth  Edition 


1916 


The  present  Handbook  de- 
scribes and  illustrates  the 
collections  without  regard 
to  changes  of  exhibition 


Library 

The  Museum  is  open  every  day  in  the  year,  excepting  the 
Fourth  of  July,  Thanksgiving  Day,  and  Christmas;  on  week-    r\  *^  §^ 
days,  9  A.M.  to  5  P.  M.  (Saturdays,  6  P.  M. ;  other  week-days, 
November  1   to  March  1,  4  P.M.);  Sundays,   1   to  6  P.  M.    I  *$  \(^ 
Admission  is  free  on  every  Saturday  and  Sunday  and  on  public 
holidays.    On  other  days  the  entrance  fee  is  twenty-five  cents. 
Children  under  fourteen  years  of  age  are  not  admitted  unless 
accompanied  by  an  adult. 

The  doorkeeper  will  receive  the  entrance  fee  and  will  check 
canes  and  umbrellas,  also  when  possible  cloaks  and  packages, 
without  charge. 

The  public  lavatories  are  reached  from  the  transverse  corridor 
back  of  the  main  stairs  (women  to  the  right,  men  to  the  left). 

At  the  Sales  Office,  to  the  right  after  passing  the  turnstile, 
the  publications  of  the  Museum  and  photographs  of  objects 
may  be  purchased.  A  Visitors'  Book  for  the  entering  of 
names  will  be  found  on  the  desk.  Comments  and  suggestions 
will  be  gladly  received  from  visitors.  The  use  of  a  wheel 
chair  in  the  galleries  may  be  obtained  without  charge  on 
application  here;  with  an  attendant  the  charge  is  $1.00  per 
hour.  Apply  here  also  to  see  any  officer  of  the  Museum.  A 
public  telephone  will  be  found  here,  and  the  City  Directory 
and  Railway  Guide  may  be  consulted. 

At  the  branch  telephone  exchange  at  the  end  of  the  corridor 
to  the  left  from  the  entrance  hall  stamps  may  be  obtained  and 
letters  posted. 

The  Restaurant  in  the  basement  of  the  Japanese  wing, 
reached  by  the  corridor  to  the  left  from  the  main  entrance, 
is  open  to  visitors  from  noon  until  4  P.  M.  (a  hot  lunch  from 
noon  to  2  P.  M.)  daily,  excepting  Sunday. 

All  articles  are  received  at  the  business  entrance,  reached 
from  Huntington  Avenue  by  the  pathway  west  of  the  Museum 
building  or  by  the  driveway  beyond  the  School  building. 

DOCENT  SERVICE 

Week  Days.  For  appointments  apply  at  the  office  of  the 
Administration. 

Sundays.  For  lectures  and  conferences  see  Bulletin  Board 
at  the  entrances.  For  special  guidance  apply  at  the  desk. 


171318 


C  O  N  T  E  N  T  S 

EGVITIAX  ART  PAGE 

INTRODUCTION 3 

PHEDYNASTIC 9 

OLD  EMPIRE 11 

MIDDLE  EMPIRE 35 

NEW  EMPIRE 38 

PTOLEMAIC 52 

ROMAN  AND  COPTIC 54 

SEMITIC  ART 56 

CLASSICAL  ART 

INTRODUCTION 61 

ARCHAIC  ROOM 67 

Firm  CENTUM v  ROOM 79 

FIRST  MARBLE  ROOM 95 

SECOND  MARBLE  ROOM 99 

FOURTH  CENTURY  ROOM 102 

LATE  GREEK   ROOM 109 

GRAECO-ROMAN  GALLERY 120 

GREEK  VASE  ROOMS 122 

COINS 125 

PICTURES 

INTRODUCTION:    WESTERN    ART   TO   THE    END  OF  THE 

RENAISSANCE,  1600 135 

ITALIAN 142 

GERMAN 150 

SPANISH      154 

DUTCH 162 

FLEMISH 168 

FRENCH 171 

ENGLISH 185 

AMERICAN 190 


viii  CONTENTS 

WESTERN  ART  PAGE 

MOHAMMEDAN 213 

EUROPEAN -2M!) 

CHINESE  AND  JAPANESE  ART 

INTRODUCTION 275 

SCULPTURE 

PAINTINGS 3(X) 

PRINTS ;{-.?!• 

MINOR  ARTS:  INTRODUCTION 3'M 

CHINESE  BRONZE MM2 

SWORD  FURNITURE MM? 

LACQUER MM!) 

CHINESE  POTTERY Mil 

CHINESE  PORCELAIN Ml.; 

CHINESE  TAPESTRY Mis 

MORSE  COLLECTION  OF  JAPANESE  POTTERY :U!> 

COLLECTION  or  PRINTS M,j? 

LIBRARY  AND  COLLECTION  OK  PHOTOGRAPHS M7.J 

COLLECTION  OK  CASTS 

GREEK  AND  ROMAN  SCULPTURE MSI 

ITALIAN  RENAISSANCE  SCULPTURE Ms  I 

SYNOPTICAL  TABLE  OK  THE  HISTORY  OK  ART :IS? 

THE  MUSEUM  AND  ITS  HISTORY 'Ml 


EGYPTIAN  ART 


MAIN"  FLOOR 


GROUND  FLOOR 
E  inilirates  the  office  of  the  Department 


EGYPTIAN   ART 

THE  collections  of  the  Egyptian  Department  offer 
to  the  visitor  ample  opportunities  for  the  study 
and  enjoyment  of  Egyptian  Art.  The  nucleus 
of  the  collection  is  the  portion  known,  from  its  donor, 
as  the  C.  Granville  Way  Collection,  which  was  pre- 
sented to  the  Museum  in  1872.  Liberal  gifts  from 
private  individuals,  the  returns  from  contributions  to 
the  Egypt  Exploration  Fund  and  the  Egyptian  Re- 
search Account,  and  the  "finds"  of  the  several  suc- 
cessful expeditions  which  the  Museum  has  sent  into  the 
field,  have  since  then  greatly  increased  the  collection. 

Egyptian  art  is,  through  its  long  course  of  nearly 
five  thousand  years,  the  continuous  expression  of  the 
creative  spirit  of  a  single  race.  This  race,  homogene- 
ous and  strongly  individual,  both  in  its  physical  char- 
acteristics and  its  culture,  gained  during  the  first  of 
those  five  millenniums  a  perfect  mastery  over  the  hard 
materials  of  the  earth,  and  worked  out  thereafter  one 
of  the  two  great  civilizations  of  the  ancient  world. 
Egypt  in  the  south  and  Babylonia  in  the  east,  power- 
ful in  their  influence  on  the  classical  world,  represent 
the  sources  of  our  modern  culture. 

Handicraft  is  but  one  phase  of  culture.  Its  products, 
the  only  tangible  remains  of  the  early  life  of  the 
Egyptians,  embody  for  us  the  characteristics  of  the  race 
and  the  culture.  It  is  from  these  products  of  the 
handicrafts  that  we  must  build  up  not  merely  our 
knowledge  of  the  technical  methods  of  the  Egyptians, 
but  also  the  interpretation  of  their  intentions  and  of 
their  appreciation  of  those  objects  which  appeal  to  oui 


4  EGYPTIAN  ART 

taste  as  masterpieces  of  art ;  for  it  is  to  be  distinctly 
borne  in  mind  that  the  study  of  Egyptian  art  must  be 
approached  from  a  strictly  historical  standpoint  unham- 
pered by  modern  ideals.  So  only  can  it  be  fully  under- 
stood and  appreciated. 

The  land  of  Egypt  is  a  long,  narrow  valley  of  extra- 
ordinary fertility,  lying  between  two  rocky  deserts. 
The  valley  owes  its  life  to  the  Nile  annually  bringing 
down  from  Central  Africa  and  the  Abyssinian  hills  a 
rich  silt,  and  saturating  the  soil  with  moisture.  The 
climate  is  that  of  the  dry  desert.  But  neither  climate 
nor  landscape  is  so  monotonous  as  seems  at  first  sight. 
The  desert  is  not  a  waste  of  sand,  but  a  high  plateau 
of  rock  broken  by  hills  and  ravines,  and  crossed  by  the 
fiercest  of  wind  storms.  The  seasonal  changes  are 
marked.  The  effect  of  climate  and  landscape  on  the 
character  of  a  race  is  an  intangible  thing,  difficult  to 
estimate  and  easy  to  exaggerate.  But  the  effect  of  the 
conditions  of  life  forced  on  the  inhabitants  by  the 
physical  character  of  a  country  is  a  thing  which  may 
be  calculated  with  a  certain  amount  of  precision.  In 
Egypt  agriculture,  cattle  raising,  and  shipping  are  all 
predetermined  as  the  earliest  elements  of  life.  So  also 
the  architecture  was  dependent  on  the  simple  necessi- 
ties of  the  climate  and  the  available  materials  —  reeds, 
wood,  mud-brick,  and  stone.  The  other  natural  re- 
sources, hard  stones,  metals,  and  other  minerals,  are 
bound  in  turn  to  stimulate  the  growth  of  technical 
skill  and  to  influence  the  conditions  under  which  the 
culture  develops.  The  river  furnishes  the  constant 
easy  means  of  communication  which  always  permitted 
the  distribution  of  products  and  of  knowledge,  and 
maintained  the  homogeneity  of  race  and  culture  during 
all  periods.  The  deserts  on  each  side  prevented  the 
rise  of  any  power  near  enough  to  threaten  the  national 
character  until  it  had  reached  its  highest  forms. 

In    this    isolated,    unchanging,    and    life-sustaining 


INTRODUCTION  5 

environment,  we  find  at  the  earliest  dawn  of  Egyptian 
history  a  race  of  almost  neolithic  savages 
living  in  a  tribal  state  by  means  of  agricul-  4500*8.  c. 
ture,  hunting,  herding,  and  simple  handi- 
crafts. The  weapons  and  implements  are  of  flint  and 
stone.  Woodcarving,  basket-making,  tanning,  and 
pot-making  are  fully  developed.  The  products  of  all 
the  handicrafts  show  the  same  characteristics  which 
mark  Egyptian  art  as  a  whole  —  patience  and  courage 
in  treating  the  hardest  materials,  simplicity  and  sense 
in  the  selection  of  practical  forms,  a  facility  in  catching 
the  characteristic  lines  of  animals,  and  a  love  of  finish. 
More  than  all  this,  the  products  of  these  primitive  arts 
show  a  devotion  to  utility  which  was  never  lost.  In 
this  early  period  we  see  the  beginning  of  Egyptian  art 
and  Egyptian  technique.  The  methods  of  working  the 
stone  maceheads,  vessels,  and  slate  paint-palettes  in 
animal  forms  are  essentially  the  same  as  those  employed 
in  the  reliefs,  statuary,  and  stone  vessels  of  later  ages. 
The  beginning  of  drawing,  painting,  and  ornamenta- 
tion are  found  in  the  line  drawings  on  the  pottery,  the 
white  line  decorated  pottery,  and  in  the  basket-work 
patterns. 

The   first  advance   was   brought  by   the     4000 B.C. 
invention  of  copper  working,  probably  the  ^> 

greatest    of    all   discoveries    in    its    effect. 
Within  a   few  hundred   years  at  most,  after  the   in- 
troduction   of  copper   weapons,   the    Egyptian    tribes 
were  forced  into  a  political  union  under  an  absolute 
monarch.     The  use  of  copper  implements,    the    dis- 
covery of  beds  of  minerals,  the  invention  of  the  stone- 
borer  and  the  bow-drill,  the  development  of  a  canal 
system,    the    invention   of  writing    for  administrative 
purposes  —  all  contributed   to  a   great  na-     y^  B  c> 
tional  prosperity,  whose  resources  were  at         to 
the  disposal  of  a  single  royal  family.      In 
the  service  of  the  needs  and  of  the  ostentation  of  this 


6  EGYPTIAN   ART 

family,  the  old  mud-brick  .architecture  was  transposed 
into  stone  architecture,  while  painting,  sculpture,  and 
all  the  handicrafts  were  developed  to  their  highest 
point.  Thus  during  Dynasties  IV  and  V  Egyptian 
culture  in  all  its  phases,  including  art,  reached  its 
culmination.  So  far  as  technical  methods  are  con- 
cerned, the  Egyptians  learned  little  after  this  period 
except  glass-making.  The  canon  of  proportions,  the 
rule  of  frontality,  all  the  usual  compositions  were  fixed. 
The  different  orders  of  columns,  the  square  pillar,  the 
palm,  the  nymphaea  caerulea,  tlienymphaea  lotus  were 
ail  in  use,  as  well  as  the  true  vault,  the  barrel  vault, 
and  the  corbel  vault. 

1600  B  c.  After  this  culminating  period  the  products 

l°  of  Egyptian  art  vary  in  number  and  beauty 

with  the  varying  economical  and  political 
conditions  of  the  country.  But  the  technique  remains 
the  same,  and  the  old  excellence  is  seldom  equalled 
and  never  exceeded.  The  great  changes  came  in  the 
New  Empire,  when  contact  with  Asia,  the  Mediterra- 
nean Isles,  and  the  east  coast  of  Africa  brought  in  new 
subject-matter — the  horse,  battle  scenes,  new  animals, 
new  plants,  strange  men.  The  greatest  change  of  all 
came  in  the  time  of  Akhenaton  (Amenophis  IV),  as  a 
reflection  of  the  religious  reform  made  by  that  monarch. 
But  here  again  the  change  was  due  to  subject-matter 
rather  than  to  any  modification  in  the  character  of 
Egyptian  art.  The  art  was  always  practical  and  real- 
istic. The  physical  type  of  the  god-king  had  always 
been  the  ideal  type.  The  use  of  the  degenerate  form 
of  Akhenaton  as  the  ideal  type  startles  us,  but  is  only 
in  conformity  with  olden  practice.  So  also  the  relaxa- 
tion of  court  forms  and  dignity  under  this  strange  man 
;s  faithfully  represented  in  the  reliefs  quite  in  con- 
formity with  the  rules  of  the  old  art.  Thus  it  is  that 
the  return  of  the  old  established  social  and  religious 
order  under  Dynasty  XIX  brings  back  the  old  forms 


INTRODUCTION  7 

o/  the  art.  In  fact,  the  whole  work  of  Akhenaton 
appears  more  a  question  of  political  economics  than 
of  religion  or  of  art.  That  king,  far  from  being  a 
religious  dreamer,  was  a  politician  who  felt  the  closing 
grasp  of  the  Amon  priesthood  on  the  monarchy,  and 
attempted  to  break  the  financial  power  of  that  priest- 
hood. He  failed,  and  the  succeeding  dynasty  saw 
the  domination  of  the  priestly  power  over  1200  B  c 
the  monarchy.  The  foreign  possessions  to 
were  lost.  Egypt  fell  a  prey  first  to  the 
mercenaries  brought  in  by  a  feeble,  cruel,  and  avaricious 
priesthood,  and  then  to  foreign  conquerors,  Ethiopians 
and  Assyrians.  In  GG3  B.  C. ,  for  the  last  time,  a  strong 
native  monarchy  was  reestablished  under  Psammetic  I, 
and  Egypt  turned  with  enthusiasm  to  the  forms  and 
ideas  of  Egypt  of  the  Old  Empire,  Egypt  of  the  period 
of  the  culmination  of  its  culture.  When  the  old  priest- 
hoods were  revived  and  the  old  titles  of  honor,  whose 
functions  were  forgotten,  then  also  the  old  monuments 
were  copied  and  imitated,  but  with  a  certain  sweet 
delicacy,  a  certain  effeminacy  and  aestheticism  which 
were  happily  lacking  in  the  old  art. 

This  renaissance  period  ended  practically  with  the 
Persian  conquest  in  5^5  B.  C.  Egyptian  culture  clung 
tenaciously  to  its  fixed  forms  through  the  Ptolemaic 
period  (332-30  B.  C.)  and  the  Roman  period  (30  B.  C.- 
300  A.  D.).  It  lost  its  identity  with  the  introduction 
of  Christianity.  The  last  stand  made  by  civilized 
paganism  against  Christianity  was  in  the  Isis  Temple 
at  Philae,  where  the  services  were  maintained  as  late 
as  the  fifth  century  after  Christ. 


THE    DIVISIONS    OF    EGYPTIAN    HISTORY    ARE 
1.    Predynastic  Period.     About  4500-3300  B.  C. 
-2.    I '.arly  Dynastic  Period.    3300-3000  B.  C.  Dynasties  land  II. 
3.    Old  Empire.     3000-2400  B.  C.     Dynasties   III-VI.     The 
great  culminating  period. 


EGYPTIAN  ART 

4.    The  J  nt  ^  rmi  dint  e  Period.      2400-2100   B.   C.      Dynasties 

VII-X.     Political  disunion  and  economic  depression. 
.5.    M'xldl, •  l-'.m  inn- .     2100-1700  B.  C.     Dynasties  XI-XIII. 

6.  The  llyksos  1'triod.     17(H)-16(K)  B.  C.     Dynasties  XIV- 

XVI.     Disunion  and  subjection  to  foreigners. 

7.  New  Empire.      1700-1200   B.  C.     Dynasties  XVII-XIX. 

Period  of  political  and  religious  organization.  Economic 
prosperity  based  largely  on  foreign  conquest.  Great 
architectural  activity. 

8.  Lut>  I'iriud.    1200-663  B.C.    Dynasties  XX-XXV.    Dom- 

ination of  Amon  priesthood.  Usurpation  of  Libyan  mer- 
cenaries. Conquest  of  Egypt  by  Ethiopia  and  Assyria. 

9.  llinnixmtiu-1'.     663-686  B.  CL     Dynasty  XXVI. 

10.  Persian  Period.   525-332  B.  C.    Dynasties  XXVII-XXX. 

11.  PtoUmaie  Piriod.    332-30  B.  C. 

12.  JioHian  Period.     30  B.  C.-394  A.  D. 

13.  Byzantine  (Coptic)  Period.     394-638  A.  D. 

14.  Moslem  Period.     638  A.  D.  to  present  day. 

The  following  list  of  books  is  made  for  the  convenience  of 
visitors  who  wish  to  become  acquainted  with  the  more  im- 
portant features  of  ancient  Egyptian  history  and  art.  The 
books  are  all  of  them  in  the  Museum  Library,  where  they  are 
accessible  to  the  public.  The  visitor  will  find  many  other 
publications  in  French,  German,  and  English  in  the  Library, 
as  well  as  a  great  number  of  photographs. 
K.  Baedeker  (Editor),  Egypt.  2  vols.,  dealing  with  Upper 

and  Lower  Egypt. 

Egypt  Exploration  Fund,  Atlas  of  Anrimt  I'.injfif.     1894. 
W.  M.  Flinders  Petrie  and  others,  A  History  of  Egypt. 
J.  H.  Breasted,  A  History  of  Egypt.     1905. 
G.  Maspero:   The  Dawn  of  Civilization.     1894.     The  Struggle 

of  the  Nations.    1896.    The  Passing  of  the  Empires.    1900. 

Mitnual  of  Egyptian  Archaeology.     1889.     Translation 

from  the  French  by  A.  B.  Edwards. 
A.  Erman,  Life  in  Ancient  Egypt.     1894.     Translation  by  H. 

M.  Tirard. 
Jean  Capart,  Primitive  Art  in  Egypt.     Translated  by  A.  S. 

Griffith,  1905,  with  revision  by  the  author. 
W.  M.  Flinders  Petrie,  Egyptian  Tales.     2  vols.     An  English 

adaptation  of  the  ancient  stories  translated  into  French 

by  Maspero. 


PREDYNASTIC 


Flint  Impl 


Predynastic 


The  collection  of  objects  from  the  predynastic  period 
is  small  but  fully  characteristic.  The  beautiful  chip- 
ping of  the  flint  weapons  and  implements,  the  wonder- 
ful finish  of  the  stone  mace-heads  and  vessels,  show  the 
highest  technical  skill  attained  by  neolithic  man.  The 
copper  harpoons,  imitating  in  form  the  bone  harpoons, 
are  among  the  earliest  examples  of  metal  work  found 
in  Egypt.  The  roughly-marked  knife  below  is  from 
Dynasty  I,  and  shows  the  degeneration  of  flint- working 
caused  by  the  introduction  of  copper  knives. 


10  EGYPTIAN    ART 


I  *  I   IT 


. 

\\'hite  Line  Decorated  Pottery  Predymtstu- 

The  pottery  vessels  of  red-burnished  soft  brown 
ware,  decorated  with  drawings  in  white  or  yellow 
lines,  belong  to  the  early  predynastic  period.  They 
are  contemporaneous  with  the  flint  Implements.  The 
drawings  show  the  very  beginnings  of  the  art  which 
produced  the  later  paintings  and  painted  reliefs. 


Red  Line  Decorated  Pottery  Jlitlill?  Prnli(ii<tnflr 

The  pottery  vessels  of  hard,  fine,  pink  ware,  decorated 
with  drawings  in  red  lines,  are  characteristic  of  the 
copper  period,  and  mark  a  decided  improvement  in  the 
material  used  in  the  pottery.  The  color  of  the  line 
drawings  has  been  changed  from  white  to  red  to  obtain 
a  contrast  with  the  lighter  background.  The  symbols 
introduced  in  the  standards  on  the  boats  are  the  sym- 
bols used  later  to  designate  the  deities  of  the  tribal 
nomes,  and  they  represent  the  very  beginning  of  the 
invention  of  hieroglyphic  writing. 


OLD    F.MPIHK 


II 


Xtittit?  in   ]\'iiinj  of 


Itynaaty  I'/ 


This  statue  has  been  compared  in  artistic  quality 
with  the  Dynasty  IV  statue  of  Sheik-el-Beled1  in  the 
C'airo  Museum,  which  is  the  most  famous  wood-carving 
from  Ancient  Egypt. 


1  A  cast  of  this  statue  may  be  seen  in  the  Study  Series  on 
the  ground  floor. 


12 


EGYPTIAN   ART 


Gold  and  Faience  Necklace  of  I»i-Tli,  />;/ 


T>ijimxly  VI 


This  unusual  necklace  was  found  in  the  tomb  of 
Im-Thepy  at  Giza.  Other  objects  from  his  tomb, 
including  his  inscribed  alabaster  head-rest  and  copper 
sacrificial  vessels,  may  be  seen  in  the  same  case.  His 
wooden  coffin  is  on  exhibition  in  the  Study  Series. 


OLD   EMPIRE 


E 

Col 


Statuettes  of  Ptah-Jchemiioi  and 
his  Wife     Dynasty  V 


This  pair  statue  of  a  common  priest  of  Dynasty  V 
and  his  wife  is  exactly  like  the  slate  pair  on  page  17  in 
grouping  and  attitude.  It  was  found  in  the  statue 
chamber  of  the  mastaba  of  Ptah-khenuwi  in  the  ceme- 
tery of  the  priests  of  Cheops.  In  Dynasty  V  the 
funerary  priests  of  Cheops  utilized  the  streets  and  open 
places  of  the  royal  cemetery  as  sites  for  their  own 
tombs.  Ptah-khenuwi  was  one  of  these,  and  his  statu- 
ettes show  the  impulse  given  to  private  art  by  the 
execution  of  the  great  masterpieces  of  Dynasty  IV 
sculpture.  The  man  who  made  this  pair  statuette  had 
almost  certainly  seen  our  Mycerinus  statues  and  had 


14  EGYPTIAN  ART 

perhaps  worked  as  an  apprentice  with  the  Mycerinus 
sculptors.  The  statuettes  were  intended  for  portraits, 
as  was  required  by  the  purpose  which  they  served. 
The  stone  is  limestone.  The  conventional  colors  show 
the  finished  aspect  of  all  Egyptian  statuary,  and  make 
us  realize  how  fortunate  it  is  that  the  color  has  been 
lost  from  our  great  masterpieces. 


Portrait  Head  of  Limestone 


Dyneuty  I " 


The  small  head  of  limestone  —  throughout  the  Old 
Empire  this  material  was  greatly  favored  by  the  sculp- 
tors —  shows  well  the  climax  reached  by  the  artists  of 
the  Old  Empire  in  making  small  portraits.  The  face 
is  that  of  a  man  in  middle  life,  and  shows  an  ordi- 
nary, matter-of-fact  person,  fairly  well  conditioned, 
and  viewing  the  world  good-naturedly.  The  type  of 
head  is  totally  different  from  the  patrician  of  the  IV 
Dynasty  shown  on  page  26.  The  earlier  portrait  is 
clean-cut  and  aristocratic;  this  small  head  is  that  of 
some  man  one  can  easily  imagine  to  have  worked  his 
way  up  from  the  ranks. 


OLD   EMPIRE 


Magical  Set  of  Cheops 


Dynasty  IV 


Sets  of  magical  implements  have  often  been  found 
in  graves  of  the  Old  and  Middle  Empires.  The  set 
found  in  the  Valley  Temple  of  Mycerinus  consists  of 
dummy  vases  and  a  flint  implement  called  a  peseshkef- 
wand,  bearing  the  two  names  of  Cheops.  This  wand 
applied  to  the  lips  of  the  dead  man  enabled  him  to 
speak  and  recite  the  magical  formulas  necessary  to  a 
happy  future  life.  The  objects  of  this  set  furnish  a 
striking  example  of  the  wonderful  power  over  hard 
stone  possessed  by  the  workmen  of  this  period. 


1 6  EGYPTIAN  ART 


Ceremonial  Stone  Vesseh  Dynasty  IV 

In  the  predynastic  period  stone  vessels  were  very 
rare,  because  of  the  labor  involved  in  hand  carving  and 
the  difficulty  of  getting  suitable  blocks  of  stone.  During 
Dynasty  I,  when  the  use  of  copper  implements  had 
come  to  its  full  effect,  stone  vessels  entirely  replaced 
the  fine  pottery  vessels,  undoubtedly  owing  to  the 
opening  of  the  quarries  and  the  invention  of  the 
weighted  stone  borer.  In  Dynasty  III  vessels  made 
on  the  potter's  wheel  appear  for  the  first  time,  and 
in  the  succeeding  dynasties  the  wheel-made  pottery 
vessels  replaced  the  stone  vessels  in  daily  use.  But  for 
many  purposes  stone  vessels  as  objects  of  luxury  still 
continued  to  be  made,  especially  as  ceremonial  vessels 
for  the  graves  of  kings  and  nobles.  The  series  of 
ceremonial  stone  vessels  from  the  Valley  Temple  of 
Mycerinus  show  the  great  variety  of  stones  at  the 
command  of  the  artisans  of  Dynasty  IV  —  alabaster, 
several  kinds  of  limestone,  diorite,  syenite,  granite, 
basalt,  porphyry,  slate,  crystal,  and  brecchia.  The 
outside  appears  in  all  cases  to  be  formed  and  finished 
by  band.  Some  of  the  undressed  vessels  show  a 
pounded  surface  similar  to  that  of  the  unfinished  stat- 
uettes. The  inside  was  bored  out  with  the  weighted 
stone  borer  or  by  the  copper  cylinder  borer,  though 
certain  parts  were  rubbed  out  by  hand.  A  few  ot 
these  vessels  which  bear  the  names  of  earlier  kings, 
and  some  others  which  are  of  archaic  form,  were  prob- 
ably taken  from  the  temples  of  earlier  tombs. 


OLD  EMPIRE 


r 


Slate  Group  :  Mycerinus  and  His  Queen     Dynasty  IV 


The  collection  of  Old  Empire  sculptures  come  from 
the  excavations  of  the  Egyptian  expedition  sent  out  by 
Harvard  University  and  the  Museum  of  Fine  Arts. 
This  expedition  worked  during  the  period  1905  to  1910 


1 8  EGYPTIAN  ART 

at  the  pyramids  of  Giza,  and  was  especially  successful 
in  the  excavation  of  the  temples  attached  to  the  Third 
Pyramid,  built  by  Mycerinus  about  2800  B.  C.  Half 
of  the  statues  found  became  by  law  the  property  of  the 
Khedivial  Museum  and  half  are  now  in  the  Museum 
of  Fine  Arts.  The  importance  of  these  statues  for  the 
history  of  Egyptian  art  lies  not  merely  in  their  beauty, 
but  also  in  the  fact  that  they  are  the  first  masterpieces 
of  the  great  creative  fourth  dynasty  to  be  dated  beyond 
dispute.  They  have  enabled  us  to  remove  the  un- 
certainty regarding  the  date  of  the  royal  statues  of 
Chephren  and  to  identify  the  Sphinx  as  a  portrait  of 
Chephren.  The  unfinished  statues  show  the  technical 
methods  of  the  Egyptian  workmen,  and  the  finished 
statues  reveal  the  artistic  intentions  and  the  ideals  of 
the  master-sculptors. 

All  Egyptian  sculpture,  both  statues  and  reliefs, 
served  a  purpose  which  to  the  Egyptian  mind  was  per- 
fectly practical  — one  may  say,  utilitarian.  The  whole 
race  believed  in  a  life  after  death,  a  ghostly  duplicate 
of  life  on  earth,  but  with  added  necessities  and  dangers. 
The  statues  were  intended  to  be  exact  facsimiles  of  the 
man  to  furnish  an  abode  for  the  soul.  The  reliefs  were 
intended  to  provide  his  soul  with  spirit-food,  spirit- 
drink,  and  spirit-clothing.  Consequently,  the  whole 
sculpture  is  pervaded  by  an  exact,  painstaking  realism. 
This  realism,  commanding  the  wonderful  technical 
skill  of  the  Egyptians,  produced  the  exquisitely  modelled 
portraits  now  in  our  collection ;  but,  on  the  other  hand, 
hampered  by  the  crudeness  of  the  Egyptian  sense  of 
color,  the  same  realism  demanded  that  this  fine  model- 
ling should  be  covered  with  simple,  conventional  colors. 
When  finished  so  as  to  fulfill  the  desired  practical 
magical  purpose,  both  statues  and  reliefs  presented  a 
crude,  gaudily-colored  aspect  which  robbed  them  of 
much  of  the  beauty  which  the  uncolored  stone  now  has 
for  modern  eyes. 


OLD   EMPIRE 


Upper  part  of  Slate  Group  :  Mycerinus  and  His  Queen 
Dynasty  I V 

The  slate  pair,  representing  Mycerinus  and  the 
Queen,  is  the  finest  example  of  Egyptian  portraiture 
in  the  Museum.  In  all  the  world,  it  is  rivalled  only 


20  EGYPTIAN  ART 

by  the  diorite  statue  of  Chephren  in  the  Cairo  Museum. 
The  face  of  the  king  alone  has  received  the  final  polish- 
ing and  the  coat  of  color  of  which  traces  may  still  be 
seen,  especially  about  the  ears.  The  rest  of  the  two 
figures  is  more  or  less  unfinished,  in  spite  of  the  fact 
that  the  modelling  appears  so  perfect.  The  royal  uraeus 
on  the  forehead  of  the  king  is  wanting,  yet  the  personal 
qualities  of  the  face  are  sufficient  to  convey  a  strong 
impression  of  royal  dignity  and  consciousness  of  power. 
The  queen's  face  is  of  rare  womanly  loveliness.  We 
are,  undoubtedly,  looking  at  the  living  faces  of  a  royal 
pair, 


-J*"' 


The  Slate  Group  a*  Found 


OLD   EMPIRE 


21 


'  »f.Viri//-.lket-Nesut,  Superintendent  of  the 
Royal  Gardens.     Dynasty  V.     From  G'hn 

A  portion  of  the  mastaba  in  which  this  statue  was 
found,  consisting  of  a  wall  of  the  outer  chamber  with 
the  doorway  to  the  inner  chamber,  is  installed  behind 
it  in  the  gallery. 


EGYPTIAN   ART 


f  .•Iliiliiixfer  Sfaf'iie  of  Myrrrtnits 


T>y  nasty  1 V 


The  large  alabaster  statue  of  Myccrinus  is  in  a  frag- 
mentary condition;  but  the  remarkable  workmanship 
of  the  parts  preserved  stamps  it  as  the  greatest  known 
masterpiece  of  Egyptian  sculpture.  It  was  completely 
finished,  but  fortunately  the  traces  of  the  black  beard 
and  hair  are  all  that  remain  of  the  coloring.  The 
modelling  of  the  knees  is  anatomically  perfect.  The 
face  presents  a  version  of  the  Mycerinus  face,  slightly 
different  from  that  of  the  slate  pair.  It  is  either  the 
work  of  a  different  artist  or  the  face  of  Mycerinus  at 
another  period  in  his  life.  There  are  also  two  versions 
of  the  Chephren  portrait  with  a  similar  difference. 
This  statue  was  worked  from  a  single  block  of  alabaster 
taken  from  the  Hat-nub  quarry- 


OLD    KMP1HK 


Alabaster.  Head  of  Slifp-sm-kaf   T>ynasty  IV 

The  head  of  the  crown  prince,  showing  the  soft  im- 
mature features  of  a  boy,  is  fully  equal  in  its  exquisite 
modelling  to  any  of  our  great  masterpieces.  The  face 
is  singularly  like  that  of  Mycerinus,  and  might  even  be 
taken  for  a  portrait  of  the  youthful  Mycerinus.  But 
the  custom  of  placing  statues  of  the  sons,  especially 
of  the  crown  princes,  in  the  tombs  of  their  fathers  is 
well  known  ;  and  it  is  therefore  more  probable  that  this 
head  is  from  a  statue  of  the  crown  prince  Shep-ses-kaf, 
the  successor  of  Mycerinus. 


24  EGYPTIAN  ART 


Unfinished  Statuettes  of  Mycerinus  Dynasty  IV 

When  Mycerinus  died,  the  Third  Pyramid,  the  tem- 
ples, many  of  the  statues,  and  the  stone  vessels  were 
unfinished.  Shep-ses-kaf,  young,  harassed  by  rivals 
and  anxious  about  his  own  tomb,  completed  hastily  the 
pyramid  of  his  father,  and  placed  the  statues  as  they 
were  in  the  temples.  Thus  \vr  have  a  series  of  un- 
finished statuettes  of  Mycerinus  showing  us  six  stages 
in  the  carving  of  a  statue. 

The  rough  blocking  has  manifestly  been  done  by 
sawing,  bruising,  and  rubbing.  The  artist  has  marked 
the  statues  at  each  stage  with  red  lines  to  guide  the 
workman.  The  later  stages  have  been  worked  mainly 
by  rubbing.  The  fifth  stage  shows  a  well-modelled 
portrait  of  the  king  lacking  only  the  final  polish. 

The  slate  triad  opposite  is  not  a  relief,  but  a  triple 
statue  supported  by  a  heavy  slab,  a  device  used  freely 
in  all  periods  of  Egyptian  sculpture  to  prevent  frac- 
tures. The  group  represents  Mycerinus,  Hathor, 
Mistress  of  the  Sycamore  Tree,  and  the  Hare  nome. 
The  inscription  before  the  nome  figure  says:  "  I  have 
given  thee  all  good  offerings  of  the  South  forever." 
That  is,  this  triad  was  the  equivalent  of  the  figures 


OLD   EMPIRE 


Slate  Triad     Nome-Goddess,  Ifathor,  and  Mycerinus 
Dynasty  IV 

bearing  offerings  found  on  the  tomb-reliefs  of  princes, 
—  figures  which  are  often  labelled  thus  each  with  the 
name  of  a  district.  Originally  there  must  have  been 
forty-two  of  these  triads,  one  for  each  of  the  forty- 
two  nomes.  Four  intact  triads  were  found,  all  of  Upper 


KUY1T1AN    ART 


J'orfrail  Head  of  Noft/f 


IV 


Egyptian  nomes,  and  fragments  of  many  others  of  the 
same  material  and  about  the  same  size.  Alabaster  frag- 
ments were  also  found,  and  it  may  be  that  the  Lower 
Egyptian  mnues  were  represented  by  alabaster  triads. 

In  Egypt  the  greatest  artisans  were  attached  to  the 
service  of  the  royal  family,  and  the  main  line  of  artistic 
development  is  always  found  in  the  work  done  for  the 
monarch.  Yet  all  work  follows  as  closely  as  possible 
the  technique  and  forms  of  the  royal  art.  It  is  of 
interest,  therefore,  to  have  the  portrait  head  of  the 

Treasurer  of  the  two  Maga/im-s  of  Silver/'  Nofer,  of 
Dynasty  IV,  as  an  example  of  the  better  private  art 
of  that  period.  This  head  was  found  in  the  burial- 
chamber  of  the  mastaba  in  whose  offering-chamber  we 
found  the  relief  of  Nofer  reproduced  on  the  opposite 


OLD   EMPIRE  27 

page.  Heads  of  this  type  were  intended  to  be  used  as 
magical  substitutes  for  the  real  head  in  case  the  latter 
was  damaged.  The  purpose  of  the  head  required, 
therefore,  that  it  should  be  an  exact  portrait;  and  the 
strong,  bony  features  here  represented  carry  conviction 
of  their  truthfulness.  The  head  seems  to  be  rather 
rough  in  workmanship,  but  it  had  probably  been 
finished  with  plaster,  traces  of  which  are  still  visible. 


Porfrnif.  of  Xuf 


28 


EGYPTIAN  ART 


Relief  from  Tomb  of  Nofer  Dynasty  IV 

Relief-work  readied  its  culmination  in  Dynasty  V 
and  examples  of  Dynasty  IV  relief  are  uncommon. 
The  earlier  reliefs  are  very  low  and  delicate,  while 
those  of  Dynasty  V  project  distinctly  above  the  back- 
ground and  are  boldly  modelled.  The  block  of  white 
limestone  with  the  figure  of  the  Treasurer  Nofer,  an 
offering  inscription,  and  the  figures  of  four  of  his  scribes, 
is  not  only  a  typical  late  Dynasty  IV  work,  but  it  also 
affords  one  of  the  proven  cases  of  portraiture  in  relief. 
The  striking  facial  characteristics  of  the  magic  head  of 
Nofer  as  seen  in  profile  are  reproduced  beyond  dispute 
in  the  profile  relief  on  the  slab.  The  fourth  scribe 
represented  is  Sennuwka,  probably  the  same  man  whose 
offering-chamber  is  reproduced  in  the  next  illustration. 


OLD  EMPIRE 


L 

Relief  from  Tomb  of  Sennmeka 


Dynasty  V 


The  mastaba  of  Nofer  occupied  a  site  in  the  royal 
cemetery.  Behind  it,  in  one  of  the  open  spaces  of 
the  cemetery,  a  tomb  of  Dynasty  V  had  been  built  for 
a  mayor  of  the  City  of  the  Pyramid  :  Glory  of  Cheops, ' ' 
Sennuwka.  The  northern  false  door  in  the  west  wall 
of  the  offering-chamber  of  this  mastaba  is  here  repro- 
duced. The  reliefs  were  never  entirely  finished,  and 
show  clearly  (on  the  right)  the  preliminary  outline 
drawing  in  black,  the  chiselling  away  of  the  back- 
ground, and  the  rubbing  of  the  reliefs.  The  lines  do 


30  EGYPTIAN  ART 

not  show  which  were  used  in  carrying  out  the  canon  of 
proportions,  yet  it  must  be  assumed  that  the  same  canon 
was  followed  as  in  other  Dynasty  V  reliefs  in  this  cem- 
etery. A  vertical  line  was  drawn  for  each  human  figure, 
and  dots  were  placed  at  fixed  distances  on  this  line  to 
mark  the  knees,  the  waist,  the  navel,  the  breast,  the 
neck,  and  other  parts.  Through  these  dots  cross  lines 
were  drawn  and  dotted  to  mark  the  lateral  measure- 
ments. A  comparison  of  the  various  known  prelimi- 
nary drawings  shows  that  the  human  standing  figure, 
from  the  top  of  the  forehead,  excluding  the  crown  of 
the  head,  to  the  soles  of  the  feet,  was  divided  into  six 
spaces,  each  equal  to  the  length  of  the  foot.  This 
same  canon,  later  with  eighteen  divisions  instead  of  six, 
was  used  throughout  the  course  of  Egyptian  history. 

The  reliefs  were  finally  colored  as  in  the  mastabas  in 
the  middle  of  the  hall.  The  Mayor  Sennuwka  is  no 
doubt  the  same  man  as  the  fourth  scribe  of  the  Nofer 
relief,  but  advanced  in  office  after  perhaps  thirty  years 
of  public  service. 


OLD   EMPIRE 


Scene  on  Mastaba  Wall 


Dynasty  V 


The  name  mastaba  "  is  a  modern  Arabic  word 
designating  the  low  adobe  bench  used  in  the  houses  of 
the  peasants.  It  was  first  applied  by  Mariette's  workmen 
to  designate  the  superstructures  of  the  Old  Empire 
tombs,  rectangular  masses  with  flat  top  and  sloping 
sides,  and  has  been  adopted  by  Europeans  as  a  techni- 
cal term  for  such  tombs.  The  mastaba  tomb  has 
many  different  forms,  but  all  present  the  same  func- 
tional parts:  (l)  a  burial-chamber  underground  for 
the  protection  of  the  burial,  reached  by  a  stair,  a 
sloping  shaft  or  a  vertical  shaft,  and  closed  forever 
after  the  burial;  (2)  a  superstructure  containing  an 


32  EGYPTIAN  ART 

offering-place,  a  meeting  place  for  the  living  with 
the  dead.  As  these  parts  were  functional,  they  varied 
in  form  with  the  growth  of  the  knowledge  of  ma- 
sonry;  and  the  mastabas  from  Dynasties  I  to  VI 
reproduce  exactly  the  history  of  Egyptian  architec- 
ture. During  this  whole  period,  the  mastabas,  like 
the  pyramids,  are  orientated  parallel  to  the  valley, 
tvith  the  offering-chamber  on  the  valley  side  on  the 
southern  end  of  the  superstructure  opposite  the  burial- 
place.  In  other  words,  the  mastabas  on  the  east 
bank  face  west  and  those  on  the  west  bank  face  east, 
that  is,  they  face  the  offering-bearers  coming  up  from 
the  valley. 

The  offering-chamber,  or  chapel,  was  first  built  inside 
the  superstructure  in  the  reign  of  Chephren.  The 
form  of  interior  chapel  used  during  Dynasty  V  is  that 
shown  by  the  two  mastaba  chambers  from  Saqqarah. 
Hidden  in  the  filling  of  the  mastaba,  adjacent  to  the 
offering-room,  was  a  second  chamber  for  the  statues  of 
the  dead  and  his  family.  This  statue  chamber,  called 
a  serdab,"  was  sealed  up  but  connected  by  a  small 
slit  with  the  offering-chamber.  The  statues  faced  this 
slit,  which  was  intended  either  to  allow  the  spirit  of 
the  offering  to  penetrate  to  the  soul  in  the  statues  or 
to  allow  the  spirit  of  the  dead  to  visit  the  statues. 

The  offering-chamber  usually  has  one  or  two  sym- 
bolic doors,  false  doors,"  on  the  side  towards  the 
burial-chamber,  which  in  the  earliest  known  forms  are 
copies  of  the  wood-roofed  mud-brick  doorways  of  the 
Early  Dynastic  period.  The  round  bar  at  the  top  of 
the  stone  niche  is  a  representation  of  the  first  log  of  the 
roof  over  the  doorway.  It  is  this  symbolic  door,  first 
built  of  mud-brick,  then  of  stones,  and  later  of  a  single 
slab,  as  in  our  mastabas,  which  finally  degenerated  into 
the  simple  grave  stone,  or  funerary  stele.  The  sym- 
bolic door  bears  on  the  sides  the  name  and  titles  of 
the  deceased  with  an  offering  formula.  Above  he  is 


OLD   EMPIRE  33 

represented  seated  at  a  table  of  offerings.  Sometimes  the 
middle  panel  is  carved  to  represent  a  wooden  door,  and 
in  one  or  two  cases  the  deceased  is  shown  in  the  act  of 
coming  out ;  for  it  was  through  this  door  that  the  spirit 
was  supposed  to  pass  to  and  fro  between  the  grave  and 
the  world  of  the  living;  and  a  series  of  magical  texts 
to  assist  him  in  this  act  are  known,  called  "texts  for 
coming  forth  by  day."  This  is,  in  fact,  the  title  of 
the  so-called  "  Book  of  the  Dead."  The  other  reliefs 
on  the  walls  of  the  offering-chamber  were  supposed  in 
some  way  to  provide  the  spirit  with  the  enjoyment  of 
the  earthly  scenes  there  depicted — sowing,  reaping, 
inspecting  the  cattle,  sacrifice,  and  feasting.  The 
magical  value  of  these  scenes  depended  on  their  realism, 
and  in  spite  of  all  their  technical  deficiencies,  these 
Egyptian  scenes  are  plausible  and  lifelike.  Nor,  as 
is  often  stated,  did  the  sculptor  hesitate  to  depict  mov- 
ing figures,  such  as  the  man  running  with  two  heavy 
pails  of  live  fish  in  the  top  row  of  the  papyrus  swamp 
scene,  and  the  flying  birds  in  the  same  scene.  Yet 
there  is  no  true  perspective,  and  the  difficulties  of  the 
side  view  of  human  figures  were  never  overcome. 

The  coloring  of  these  reliefs  is  partly  preserved  and 
shows  the  conventional  scheme  of  red,  black,  white, 
blue,  green,  and  yellow,  universally  used  in  Egypt. 
Shades  are  practically  unknown,  and  the  painting 
without  relief  is  flat.  One  may  almost  say  that  the 
painting  is  merely  colored  drawing,  owing  its  whole 
charm  to  the  clear,  graceful  outlines.  The  colored 
drawings,  if  one  may  be  allowed  the  term,  are  earlier 
than  the  colored  reliefs,  and  the  uncolored  drawings 
are  still  earlier,  so  that  it  may  be  said  that  the 
colored  reliefs  are  an  advanced  form  of  colored  draw- 
ings, an  almost  unconscious  attempt  to  gain  plasticity. 
Probably  the  Egyptian  artist  strove  for  his  effects  in 
a  practical  rule-of-thumb  manner,  without  much  theo- 
rizing; but,  as  a  matter  of  fact,  his  relief- work  was 


34  EGYPTIAN  ART 

an  accessory  to  the  painted  drawings.  It  gave  a  plas- 
ticity which  his  crude  sense  of  color  could  never  attain, 
and  produced  the  similitude  of  life  which  was  the  aim 
of  all  his  efforts. 

The  variations  in  the  workmanship  of  some  parts  of 
these  mastabas  are  largely  due  to  the  different  kinds 
of  stone  used.  The  soft,  yellow  limestone  and  the 
brittle  nummelitic  limestone  are  from  the  local  quarries. 
Unsuitable  to  fine  work,  they  received  a  plaster  dressing 
which  has  largely  disappeared,  carrying  with  it  the 
finer  details.  The  best  preserved  parts  are  those  un- 
dressed reliefs  carved  on  the  fine  white  limestone  slabs 
quarried  across  the  river  at  Turah.  As  is  usual  in  such 
large  pieces  of  Egyptian  work,  some  parts  have  been 
reworked  and  some  were  never  finished. 

The  offering-chambers,  no  matter  how  elaborate  their 
reliefs,  were  dark,  narrow  cells  lighted  dimly  by  one 
or  two  slit  windows.  On  the  set  feast  days  the  rela- 
tions of  the  dead  came  with  their  offerings  of  food, 
which  they  placed  before  the  false  door.  Offering 
formulas  were  recited  to  secure  the  use  of  the  food  to 
the  spirit  of  the  dead.  The  offering  finished,  the  visitors 
went  away,  locking  the  wooden  door  and  leaving  the 
room  silent  and  deserted  until  the  next  feast  day. 


Vv 

a  a    71  ji 

W^ -       i.:L»  u  vl I  *.Ja 

Figures  at  Base  of  Stele  Dynasty  V 


MIDDLE   EMPIRE 


35 


The  most  striking  archi- 
tectural features  of  the  great 
Egyptian  temples  are  the 
colonnaded  courts  and  the 
halls  of  columns.  The  stone 
architecture  of  Egypt  was  a 
secondary  development. 
The  mud-brick  architecture 
with  wooden  accessories  was 
fully  developed  — masonry, 
arches,  columns — during 
the  first  two  dynasties,  and 
this  mud-brick  architecture 
was  transposed  into  stone 
during  the  third,  fourth, 
and  fifth  dynasties.  Thus, 
most  of  the  forms  and  de- 
tails of  the  stone  archi- 
tecture are  imitations  of 
the  older  mud-brick  archi- 
tecture. It  is  therefore 
no  accident  that  stone  col- 
umns imitate  the  palm  logs 
and  the  mud-smeared  bun- 
dles of  plant  stems  used  as 
roof  supports  in  the  earlier 
days.  The  bundle-columns 
represent  bundles  of  nym- 
phaea  caerulea  stems,  nym- 
phaea  lotus  (not  the  Indian 
lotus)  stems,  and  papyrus 
stems.  The  capitals  are  formed  to  represent  buds  or 
Howers  —  usually  designated  '  closed"  or  open  cap- 
itals." The  papyrus  column  with  open  capital  is  often 
called  by  mistake  a  lotus  capital. l 

1  A  full  exposition  of  the  types  of  columns  may  be  found  in 
Borchardt's  "  Pflanzensaule." 


Papyrus  Bundle-Column 
Dynasty  XII 


EGYPTIAN   ART 


Sfufid'  nf  in/  /,V// fitlnn  Lady  Named  S 
Middle  Empire.     From  Kerma 

This  important  statue  fills  a  gap  in  the  collection, 
which  hitherto  had  no  representative  examples  of 
Middle  Empire  sculpture. 


MIDDLE  EMPIRE 


Statuette 


Dynasty  XI 


Statuette 


Dynasty  XI 


The  colored  wooden  figures  represent  a  phase  of  the 
private  art  of  Egypt,  which  is  of  archaeological  rather 
than  of  artistic  interest.  During  the  decline  in  pros- 
perity, following  the  extravagance  of  the  pyramid  age, 
the  great  mastaba  tomb  gave  place  to  the  simple  rock- 
cut  tomb.  The  functions  of  the  reliefs  and  of  the 
statues  were  assumed  by  a  simple  stele  and  by  small 
wooden  models  and  figures  placed  in  the  burial-chamber. 
These  figures,  seldom  more  than  mediocre  in  execu- 
tion, are  usually  crude  and  merely  conventional  repre- 
sentations. The  figures  shown  above  are  both  from 
the  early  Middle  Empire  cemetery  at  Assiut.  One  is 
a  woman  bringing  offerings,  the  other  is  an  attempted 
portrait  of  a  priest. 


171318 


EGYPTIAN   ART 


OCQFobtfroHt  the  Way  Collection 

Top  row,  left  to  right :  faience  scarab  of  Dynasty  XVIII, 
showing  typical  scroll  work;  scarab  with  name  of  Horus; 
large  pottery  scarab  from  the  Greek  factory  at  Naukratis, 
about  590  B.  C. ;  Dynasty  XVIII  scarab  with  cartouche  of 
Thothmes  III  on  the  Bark  of  the  Sun ;  scarab  of  the  New 
Empire,  showing  peculiarly  fine  workmanship.  Middle 
row :  basalt  "heart-scarab,"  with  carelessly  cut  inscription ; 
large  royal  scarab  of  Amenhotep  III,  struck  as  a  com- 
memorative token  of  his  having  killed  one  hundred  and  two 
lions  in  the  first  ten  years  of  his  reign  (there  is  another  ex- 
ample in  the  British  Museum) ;  serpentine  scarab,  finely 
cut,  but  uninscribed.  Bottom:  hue  (Ptolemaic)  faience 
pectoral. 


NEW   EMPIRE 


39 


Portrait  Ifond 


Dynasty  AT/77 


The  head  shown  above  is  from  a  squatting  private 
statue  of  the  New  Empire  similar  to  that  discussed  on 
page  41.  The  limestone  is  worked  to  a  fine  smooth 
surface.  The  head  was  colored  as  usual,  and  traces 
of  the  color  may  still  be  seen  on  its  lips.  The  date  is 
determined  solely  by  the  style  of  the  headdress. 


EGYPTIAN'  ART 


Royal  Portrait 


]>y»anty  XIX 


The  small  syenite  head  shown  above  is  a  royal  por- 
trait of  the  New  Empire,  apparently  representing 
Ramses  II.  It  is  to  be  compared  with  the  head  of  the 
large  granite  statue  of  Ramses  on  page  1-J,  and  is 
another  illustration  of  the  persistence  of  the  forms  and 
technique  of  the  earlier  sculpture.  Originally  this  head 
was  colored  according  to  the  fixed  convention. 


NEW  EMPIRE 


Statue  of  Pa-ra-hotep 


Dynasty  XIX 


The  squatting  statue  of  Pa-ra-hotep,  of  gray  granite, 
is  a  typical  example  of  New  Empire  sculpture.  The 
technique,  and  even  the  form,  is  that  of  the  earlier 
work.  The  difference  lies  simply  in  the  dress.  The 
men  of  the  New  Empire  wore  a  longer  garment  and 
dressed  their  wigs  in  a  slightly  different  manner.  It 
must  not  be  forgotten  that  all  these  statues  are  mere 
portraits  intended  to  reproduce  the  outward  form  of 
the  man,  and  all  show  the  stiff,  dignified,  but  expres- 
sionless attitude  of  the  Oriental  when  posing  for  a 


EGYPTIAN  ART 


Seated  Granite  Statue  of  Ramses  II 
Dynasty  XIX 


portrait.  The  Egyp- 
tian artist  represents 
character  only  by  ac- 
cident, and  never  had 
occasion  to  attempt 
the  expression  of  fear, 
hate,  love,  or  other 
emotions. 

The  New  Empire, 
the  period  of  the 
greatest  prosperity  in 
the  whole  history  of 
Egypt,  owed  the 
greater  part  of  its 
wealth  to  the  looting 
of  Asia  and  the  Sou- 
dan. The  founders  of 
Dynasty  XVIII  were 
princes  of  Thebes, 
and  when  they  drove 
out  the  Hyksos  and 
assumed  the  kingship 
over  Egypt  they  as- 
cribed their  success  to 
their  local  god  Amon, 
and  poured  their 


foreign  plunder  into  the  treasury  of  his  priesthood. 
Great  temples  were  built  all  over  Egypt.  The  Amon-Re 
priesthood  became  the  most  desirable  career  in  Egypt, 
and  Amon-Re  became  the  national  god  of  Egypt. 

When  Ramses  II  came  to  the  throne  the  Egyptians 
had  been  open  to  the  influence  of  Asia  for  more  than 
three  centuries.  The  land  was  filled  with  foreign  cap- 
tives, the  gardens  boasted  of  outlandish  plants  and 
animals,  the  palaces  held  the  finest  products  of  Asiatic- 
art,  and  the  market  places  offered  all  the  wares  of  the 
near  East  for  sale.  Yet  the  effect  on  Egyptian  art  is 


NKW    EMPIRE  43 

surprisingly  small.  New  subject-matter  crops  out;  a 
few  new  compositions,  mainly  battle  scenes,  appear  in 
the  reliefs;  but  in  general  Egyptian  art  remains  what 
it  was  —  the  same  in  technique,  practical  and  realistic. 
When  the  subject-matter  is  ceremonial,  as  in  this  statue 
of  Ramses  II,  the  production  shows  all  the  character- 
istics of  the  Old  Empire.  Here  is  a  king  in  the  tra- 
ditional insignia  of  the  monarchy,  as  he  appeared  at 
great  court  ceremonies.  The  attitude  is  almost  iden- 
tical with  that  of  the  Mycerinus  statues,  and  the 
method  of  working  was  the  same.  Fifteen  hundred 
years  had  passed  by.  Egypt  had  learned  the  ways  of 
all  Western  Asia,  but  the  art  of  the  Old  Empire  still 
ruled,  the  greatest  of  all  in  that  time. 

This  statue  of  Ramses  II  and  most  of  the  art  of  his 
time  is,  however,  slightly  lacking.  There  is  size  ;  there 
is  an  enormous  number  of  statues,  reliefs,  and  temples; 
but  there  are  also  signs  of  haste,  of  carelessness. 
Quality  is  being  sacrificed  to  quantity.  The  priest- 
hood of  Amon-Re  is  growing  in  numbers  and  in  power. 
For  much  of  the  surplus  wealth  is  being  absorbed  by 
this  avaricious  organization.  In  the  preceding  century, 
Akhenaton  had  made  his  fight  to  break  the  priesthood, 
but  his  successors  had  lost  all  that  he  had  gained. 
From  this  time  forth  the  division  of  power  and  wealth 
was  inimical  to  the  production  of  great  finished  pieces 
of  work,  and  Egyptian  art  steadily  declined  down  to 
the  revival  of  Psammetic  I. 


44 


EGYPTIAN   ART 


Relief  New  Empire 

The  relief  portrait  of  a  New  Empire  king  shown 
above  is  a  beautiful  example  of  the  best  work  of  that 
period,  hardly  inferior  to  the  Old  Empire  work.  This 
is  called  a  sunk-relief;  that  is,  the  background  has  not 
been  cut  away,  as  in  the  ordinary  reliefs.  Otherwise 
the  technique  is  the  same.  Sunk-reliefs  cost  less  labor 
and  are  especially  common  in  the  latter  part  of  the 
New  Empire. 


NEW  EMPIRE  45 

The  face  in  the  relief  bears  the  characteristics  of  the 
Theban  royal  family, —  the  almond-shaped  eye  drawn 
down  at  the  inner  corner,  the  thin  nose  with  rounded 
tip,  and  the  fine  mouth.  The  type  may  still  be  seen 
among  the  people  of  Upper  Egypt.  On  the  head  is 
the  royal  war-helmet  with  the  uraeus. 


Support  for  a  Chair  in  the  Form  of  a  Panther      Dynasty  X  VIII 

However  much  they  conventionalized  the  human 
form,  the  Egyptians  treated  animals  with  fidelity  to 
nature,  as  may  be  seen  from  the  panther  shown  above. 
Tt  is  of  wood,  coated  with  bitumen.  The  panther's 
stealthy  stride  is  well  caught,  and  the  blunt  head  is 
admirably  modelled.  The  piece  was  one  of  a  pair 
supporting  a  seat  or  throne.  The  apparent  symbolism 
is  ancient  and  is  to  be  contrasted  with  the  use  of 
figures  of  prisoners  for  the  same  purpose. 


46 


EGYPTIAN  ART 


Wooden  Panel,  Thothmes  IV 


Dynasty  AT/// 


The  wooden  panel  is  likewise  from  a  piece  of  furni- 
ture, and  bears  a  symbolic  decoration, —  Thothmes  IV 
as  a  sphinx  trampling  the  foreign  nations.  In  the 
case  of  chariots,  thrones,  mirrors,  spoons,  weapons, 
and  almost  all  objects,  the  ornamentation  was  symbolic 
or  magical  in  character.  Images  and  figures  of  deities 
and  divine  animals  were  freely  used,  each  appropriate 
to  its  object, —  the  ugly  god  of  the  toilet  on  cosmetic 
boxes,  the  scarabaeus  on  seals,  hunting  scenes  on 
weapons,  and  battle  scenes  on  chariots.  From  the 
earliest  predynastic  period;  figures  of  sacred  animals 
were  carved  on  the  slate  paint  palettes  and  had  a 
magical  protective  force.  In  later  times  the  use  of 
hieroglyphic  writing  gave  a  special  significance  to 
almost  every  object,  to  every  element  used  in  orna- 
mentation. Thus  the  papyrus  stem  with  open  flower, 
often  called  a  lotus  by  mistake,  has  the  meaning  to 
be  green,"  "to  be  flourishing. "  It  is  of  interest  to 
note  that  Thothmes  IV  is  the  prince  named  in  the 
granite  stele  at  the  breast  of  the  Great  Sphinx  as  the 


NEW   EMPIRE 


47 


one  who  cleared  the  Great  Sphinx  of  sand  and  reestab- 
lished its  offerings.  The  workmanship  of  the  panel 
shows  the  soft  finish  of  the  best  work  of  the  New  Empire. 


Faience 


Six  Foreign  Captives 


New  Empire 


The  six  faience  plates,  representing  foreign  captives, 
are  wonderful  examples  of  Egyptian  handicraft.  The 
ability  to  see  and  to  copy  things  as  they  are  has  pro- 
duced in  these  colored  glazes  the  negro  (first  and 
fifth  from  the  left)  and  the  Arab  (fourth),  just  as 
we  see  them  to-day,  though  in  a  different  dress.  The 
others,  the  Philistian  (third),  the  Asiatic,  possibly  the 
Libyan,  must  be  equally  true  to  life,  just  as  they 
appeared  disembarking  in  bonds  from  the  Egyptian 
war-galleys  at  Thebes.  The  plates  themselves  were 
inlays,  probably  from  some  piece  of  royal  furniture, 
and  are  another  example  of  the  symbolic  ornamentation 
mentioned  above. 


48 


EGYPTIAN  ART 


Faience  Inlay     Xew  Empire 

This  beautiful  head  is  merely  an  inlay  piece  from 
the  symbolic  ornamentation  of  some  object.  The  wig 
is  of  glazed  pottery  and  the  face  of  glass  paste.  The 
features  are  distinctly  those  of  the  royal  Theban  family 
of  the  New  Empire,  as  may  be  seen  by  comparing  it 
with  the  relief  on  page  44-.  This  piece,  together  with 
the  figures  of  captives,  is  said  to  have  come  from  the 
palace  of  Ramses  III  at  Medinet-Habu,  opposite 
Thebes. 


NEW  EMPIRE 


49 


This  great   royal 
scarab  comes  from 
Dynasty  XIX,  and 
bears    two    of    the 
names    of    Seti    I, 
alternately     re- 
peated.   The  work- 
manship, size,  and 
condition     of     the 
specimen    make    it 
the   finest   example 
of  its  class  in  exist- 
ence.     It   is   made 
with   a   greenish- 
blue  glaze,  laid  on 
rather  thinly.    The 
face    shows    traces 
of  gold  leaf,  which 
indicate  that  at  one 
time  the  whole  face 
of  the   scarab  was 
gilded,     while     the 
specimen  is  bound  with  strips  of  pale  gold,  to  which  a  ring 
for  suspension  is  attached  in  front.    The  modelling  of  the 
beetle  is  particularly  lifelike  and  free  from  convention, 
as    may 
be  seen 
from  the 
second 
cut,    in 
which 
the  same 
scarab 
is  shown 
in   pro- 
file. 


EGYPTIAN'   ART 

Gold  was  one  of  the  first  metals 
worked  by  the  predynastic  Egyptians 
and  \vas  always  a  favorite  for  amulets, 
charms,  and  ornaments.  It  is  even 
possible  that  copper  was  discovered  in 
some  attempt  at  extracting1  gold  from 
copper  ore.  In  the  archives  of  Amen- 
ophis  IV,  at  Tell  Amarna,  a  number  of 
letters  in  cuneiform  script  were  found 
in  which  the  kings  of  Babylon  beg 
Amenophis  for  gold,  saying:  "  Gold  is 
as  dust  in  the  street  in  the  land  of  our 
brother."  The  chief  mines,  now  ex- 
hausted, were  in  Wady  Alaqi,  in  the 
eastern  desert,  where  the  ancient  work- 
ings, the  crucibles,  and  smelters  may 
still  be  seen. 

The  gold  statuetteof  the  god  Hershef, 
found  at  Hierakleopolis,  is  a  rare  and 
beautiful   example  of  goldsmith's   work.      It   is   from 
Dynasty  XXIII  and  bears  a  votive  inscription  in  minute 
hieroglyphics  on  the  base. 


Statuette  of 

lit  rxhef 
Dynasty  XXII I 


Gold  Pectoral  Ornament 


The  statuette  above  is  an  example  of  carved  gold 
work;  the  amulet  in  the  form  of  a  ba-bird,  or  soul  in 
the  form  of  a  bird,  is  an  example  of  the  more  usual 
beaten  gold  work. 


NEW  EMPIRE 


Cut  Skin  Garment  Dynasty  XVIII 

Did  no  other  monument  of  Egyptian  antiquity  re- 
main to  us  than  the  cut  gazelle-skin  garment  shown  in 
the  above  plate,  both  the  industry  and  the  skill  of  the 
artisans  would  be  convincingly  attested.  The  piece, 
which  is  only  half  of  the  complete  garment,  was  found 
with  a  similar  one  in  the  tomb  of  Maiherpri,  a  prince 
of  Dynasty  XVIII,  and  a  cup-bearer  of  Thothmes  IV 
0436-1427  B.  C.).  The  meshes  are  made  entirely 
oy  cutting  slits  in  the  skin,  and  then  stretching  it 
laterally.  At  the  shoulders,  where  seams  are  visible 
across  the  borders,  are  two  piecings,  the  meshes  being 
tied  with  microscopic  knots. 


EGYPTIAN  ART 


Portrait        Ptolemaic  (?) 


Profile  of  the  Same 


The  last  great  period  of  Egyptian  art  began  about 
700  B.  C.  After  the  time  of  Ramses  III  (about  1200 
B.  C.),  the  power  of  the  monarchy  was  gradually 
usurped  by  the  high  priest  of  Amon-Ra.  These  avari- 
cious and  unwarlike  theocrata  abandoned  the  foreign 
possessions  and  utilized  Libyan  mercenaries  to  hold  the 
Egyptian  provinces  in  subjection.  First  the  Libyans 
wrested  the  throne  from  their  employers  and  fell  them- 
selves before  the  rising  power  of  the  Aethiopian  kings. 
Then  the  Assyrians,  enjoying  the  profits  of  the  con- 
quest of  Western  Asia,  drove  out  the  Aethiopians  and 
held  Lower  Egypt  as  a  province.  In  663  B.  C.,  at  a 
moment  when  the  Assyrians  were  preoccupied  by  in- 
ternal trouble,  a  certain  prince  of  Sais  using  Greek 
mercenaries  established  himself  as  king  of  all  Egypt 
under  the  name  of  Psammetic,  the  first  of  that  name. 
During  the  long  period  of  foreign  domination,  the 
national  consciousness  appears  to  have  been  awakened. 
The  Egyptians,  surrounded  by  the  monuments  of  their 
ancient  greatness,  remembered  and  attempted  to  revivify 
the  past.  Priests  were  appointed  to  renew  the  funerary 


PTOLEMAIC 


53 


services  of  Cheops  and  Chephren.  Old  texts,  some- 
times only  half  understood,  were  copied,  and  many  a 
a  word  is  found  resuscitated  after  centuries  of  disuse. 
Monuments  of  the  Old  Empire  were  taken  as  models 
of  the  best  in  art.  The  forms  were  copied  with  a 
finish  which  rivalled  the  best  Egyptian  work.  This  is 
the  dominating  quality  of  the  Saite  art  —  it  is  the  imi- 
tation of  the  forms  of  a  sincere,  realistic,  older  art 
carried  out  with  the  old  technical  skill.  A  certain 
idealism  is  thus  brought  in  —  a  belief  in  qualities  no 
longer  seen  in  actual  life.  For  all  ceremonial  works, 
where  the  reliance  on  antiquity  was  greatest,  there  is 
a  delicacy  of  treatment,  a  softness  of  outline  which 
seems  to  indicate  some  measure  of  aesthetic  feeling. 
But  in  some  cases,  such  as  this  portrait  of  the  priest  in 


Portrait  of  a  Priest  Saite 

hard  green  stone,  the  old  demand  for  realism  still  per- 
sisted and  was  obeyed  with  all  the  old  fidelity  to  truth. 
Just  as  in  the  days  of  Mycerinus,  a  form  of  the  earthly 
man  in  imperishable  stone  was  needed  for  the  use  of 
his  ka  or  soul,  and  just  as  the  ancient  artist  reproduced 
the  bulging  eyes  and  puffy  cheeks  of  the  builder  of 
the  Third  Pyramid,  so  the  Saite  artist,  equally  un- 
afraid, portrays  the  defects  and  the  cruel  lines  of  the 
crafty  priest  of  his  ^ay. 


54 


EGYPTIAN  ART 


Mummy  Portrait  J'tttn/rd  in  Wa.r  on  Wood 
First  or  SH-IIIK/  Ci'iiliinj  A.I). 

From  a  burying-ground  at  El-Kubayat,  in  the  Prov- 
ince of  Fayum,  this  portrait  is  a  specimen  of  the  en- 
caustic paintings  on  thin  panels  of  wood  which  in  the 
Graeco-Roman  period  were  substituted  for  the  plastic 
representations  of  the  face  of  the  dead  used  on  mummies 
of  earlier  times.  The  panel  was  laid  over  the  face  of 
the  mummy,  and  the  outer  bandages  were  wrapped 
about  it  so  as  to  cover  its  margin.  Fragments  of  the 
cloth  still  adhere  to  the  present  portrait. 


ROMAN,   COPTIC 


55 


) 

I 
__.. 


Coptic  Glass 


Roman  and  Byzantine  Periods 


Glass-making  in  Egypt  goes  back  perhaps  to  the 
Middle  Empire.  The  early  vessels  are  all  opaque  and 
variegated  in  color,  and  seem  to  have  been  made  on  a 
core  which  was  afterwards  broken  up  and  shaken  out. 
Colored  glass  pastes  were  also  used  for  beads,  inlays, 
and  grinding  blue  and  green  colors;  but  clear  glass 
seems  to  have  been  entirely  a  foreign  invention,  ap- 
pearing first  in  Ptolemaic-Roman  times.  The  pieces 
shown  are  from  Coptic  times  and  show  many  forms 
found  in  Syria  in  the  same  period. 


SEMI ilC  ART 


Relltf  <>f  King  Asrur-nazir-pal 

The  figure  of  a  winged  god,  a  relief  from  the  palace 
of  Assur-nazir-pal  (about  889-859  B.  C.)  is  a  charac- 
teristic example  of  formal  Assyrian  sculpture,  though 
by  no  means  of  the  best.  It  shows  the  same  practical 
magical  purpose  revealed  so  universally  by  the  Egyp- 
tian reliefs.  The  eye  is  full,  as  in  Egypt;  but  some 


SEMITIC  ART  57 

of  the  difficulties  of  the  profile  view  —  the  feet,  the 
shoulders  —  have  been  more  or  less  successfully  han- 
dled. Yet  the  heavy  outlines,  the  crude  modelling, 
and  the  lifeless  conventions  deprive  the  whole  of  grace 
or  even  plausibility.  In  the  fourth  millennium  before 
Christ  the  primitive  productions  of  the  two  civiliza- 
tions, Egypt  and  Babylonia,  show  almost  equal  tech- 
nical skill.  Both  nations  had  a  similar  economic 
development  in  a  rich  agricultural  valley.  In  both 
cases  the  art  developed  as  much  in  the  service  of 
magic  and  religion  as  in  that  of  the  needs  of  daily  life. 
Even  the  materials  available  for  architecture  and  sculp- 
ture were  not  very  different.  Finally,  both  races  were 
largely  Semitic  in  origin  and  lived  in  contact  with 
each  other  from  1500  B.  C.  to  long  after  the  period  of 
Assur-nazir-pal.  Yet  Egyptian  art,  sincere  and  cer- 
tain in  its  truth,  has  left  a  series  of  great  masterpieces, 
while  Babylonian  art  has  only  succeeded  in  arousing 
curiosity  and  archaeological  interest. 


CLASSICAL  ART 


GHOUKD  FLOOR 
Cl  indicates  th«  office  of  the  Department 


CLASSICAL  ART 

SINCE  the  time  of  the  Italian  Renaissance,  when  men 
turned  to  the  remains  of  antiquity  with  the  enthusiasm 
of  discovery,  classical  art  has  held  the  same  high 
position  as  has  been  accorded  to  classical  literature.  The 
best  examples  of  Greek  art,  however,  waited  much  longer 
for  recognition  and  appreciation  than  the  masterpieces 
of  Greek  poetry.  The  sculptures  with  which  princely  and 
ecclesiastical  dilettanti  of  Italy  adorned  their  palaces  and 
gardens  were  usually  Roman  imitations  of  Greek  works, 
suggesting  in  only  a  limited  measure  the  significance  and 
vitality  of  the  originals. 

The  opening  of  the  nearer  East  to  archaeological  explora- 
tion has  restored  to  the  modern  world  priceless  examples  of 
original  Greek  work,  representing  the  ideas  and  the  tech- 
nical achievement  of  many  generations,  and  has  enabled 
students  of  antiquity  to  attain  a  truer  view  than  ever  before 
of  the  essential  qualities  of  ancient  art.  They  have  learned, 
for  instance,  that  in  real  Greek  sculpture  beauty  does  not 
imply  monotonous  smoothness  of  form  or  coldness  of  ex- 
pression ;  that  dignity  and  repose  are  not  inconsistent 
with  thorough  animation.  They  have  learned  not  only  to 
admire  and  enjoy  the  art  of  the  "classical"  period  in  the 
more  restricted  sense  of  the  word,  but  to  accept  with  sym- 
pathy and  pleasure  the  work  of  earlier  artists,  whose 
struggle  with  conventions  and  technical  difficulties  makes 
only  the  more  effective  the  sincerity  of  their  effort  for  vigor- 
ous expression  of  ideas  about  gods  and  men ;  while  the  dis- 
covery of  important  sculptures  of  the  Hellenistic  period  has 
revealed  in  late  Greek  art  an  individualism  and  a  dramatic 
power  which  are  sometimes  supposed  to  be  exclusively 
modern. 


62  CLASSICAL   ART 

I.  Prehistoric  Art  of  Greece,  3000-1000  B.  C.     In  its 
period   of   highest  development    and   of  decline  the  pre- 
historic art  of  Greece  is  generally   called   "Mycenaean," 
because  it  first  became  widely  known  through  the  excava- 
tion  of    Mycenae.      The    civilization    which    produced    it 
probably  centred  originally  in  the  island  of  Crete,  whose 
position  and  resources  brought  its  early  population  the 
power  and  wealth  that  are  echoed  in  the  tradition  of  Minos, 
King  of  Cnossos.    The  art  of  these  people  shows  at  its  best 
an  admirable  skill  in  decorative  design  and  a  freedom  of 
style  approaching  naturalism,  even  though  its  method  is 
far  from  exact  representation.     It  reflects  no  ideas  of  pro- 
found interest,  but  phenomena  of  marine,  animal,  and  even 
human  life  are  presented  vividly  and  freshly.     The  work 
of  this  period  is  exemplified  in  the  Museum  by  an  ivory 
statuette  (p.   t>7),   by  a   series  of  vases  in  stone   and 
pottery,  aud  by  a  few  seal-stones. 

II.  Archaic  Greek  Art,  1000-500   B.  C.     The  long  de- 
cline of  Mycenaean  art,  due  to  political  and  social  changes 
which  accompanied  the  shifting  of  population  in  Greece 
about  1000  B.  C.,  was  succeeded  by  the  development  of 
the  art  of  the  historic  Greek  people.     In  the  plastic  and 
graphic  arts  their  earliest  efforts  embody  but  inadequately 
the  wealth  of  interesting  ideas,   of  which   there   is  such 
abundant  evidence  in  the  contemj>orary  Homeric  poems; 
they  had  to  learn  not  only  the  mastery  of  tools  and  mate- 
rials, but  certain  elementary  lessons  in  the  "grammar  of 
art,"    in    which    the    older    Oriental    peoples   were   their 
teachers.    The  pottery  of  Corinth  and  Rhodes  shows  the 
strong  influence  which  Eastern  art  exerted  on  early  Greek 
work  in  the  seventh  century  B.  C.    Oriental  motives  and 
methods   became,   however,   only   the   stepping-stones  to 
original   expression;    the   Greek   did   not   lose   his   inde- 
pendence  of   vision    and    feeling,    and    the   characteristic 
humanism  of  Greek  art  is  already  manifest  in  the  work  of 
the  sixth  century  B.  C.,  though  it  finds  expression  chiefly  in 


INTRODUCTION  63 

works  controlled  by  religious  motives  —  statues  of  gods, 
ideal  statues  of  athletes  commemorating  victories  in  re- 
ligious games,  and  other  sculptures  dedicated  to  deities. 
Within  the  limits  of  certain  accepted  conventions,  the 
later  archaic  sculptures  show  a  marked  individuality  of 
style.  In  this  Museum  the  period  is  illustrated  not 
only  by  some  interesting  sculptures  (pp.  68,  69,  71, 
79),  but  by  bronze  statuettes  (pp.  71 ,  72>  73),  by  coins 
issued  by  many  Greek  cities  in  the  sixth  century  (p. 
125),  and  by  painted  vases  on  which  the  subjects,  and 
in  some  degree  the  qualities,  of  archaic  frescoes  are 
imitated  (pp.  76  and  77). 

III.  The  Fifth  Century,  500-400  B.  C.  During 
the  years  in  which  the  Greek  states  were  rising  to  their 
highest  military  and  political  power,  the  technical  prog- 
ress of  the  arts  continued,  and  the  conventions  of  the 
archaic  period  gradually  gave  place  to  a  free  style.  The 
period  of  transition  (480-450  B.  C.)  is  represented  in 
this  collection  by  one  of  the  finest  of  the  few  extant 
originals  (pp.  80~83).  Adequate  representation  of  the 
human  form  in  every  variety  of  attitude  or  action  was 
specially  sought ;  but  this  representation  was  not  literal 
or  even  individual;  it  reflected  the  idea  of  a  type.  In 
its  most  characteristic  achievement,  such  as  the  sculp- 
tures of  the  Parthenon,  the  art  of  the  fifth  century  may 
be  called  social  and  civic  in  its  motive.  It  embodies 
more  completely  than  any  other  the  Hellenic  ideal  of 
proportion,  sanity,  and  self-command.  The  Museum 
possesses  very  few  sculptures  of  this  date  (p.  80), 
but  the  qualities  suggested  above  may  be  studied  and 
enjoyed  in  the  collections  of  smaller  objects ;  for  in- 
stance, the  beautiful  coins  of  Sicily  and  Southern  Italy 
(pp.  126,  128,  ISO),  the  vases  decorated  by  Athenian 
painters  of  the  fifth  century  (pp.  89-93),  and  some 
unique  examples  of  gold  jewelry  (p.  88). 


64  CLASSICAL  ART 

IV7.  The  Fourth  Century,  400-300  B.  C.,  was  an  age 
in  which  the  older  influences  of  religion  and  the  state 
waned,  and  individualism  came  to  dominate  Greek 
thought  and  action.  Artists  now  more  clearly  distin- 
guished individual  character,  and  applied  their  newly 
attained  skill  to  the  portrayal  of  emotional  states,  even 
of  transitory  feeling.  The  head  of  Aphrodite  (p.  9?) 
in  the  Bartlett  Collection  in  this  Museum,  though  thor- 
oughly ideal  in  its  beauty,  has  a  more  particularized 
character  and  is  more  directly  expressive  of  emotion 
than  sculptures  of  the  fifth  century.  Several  other 
original  marbles  of  the  fourth  century  contribute  much 
to  the  value  of  the  collection  of  classical  sculpture  in  the 
Museum.  The  head  of  a  goddess  from  Chios  (p.  99), 
a  fragment  of  a  group  representing  an  Amazon  on  horse- 
back and  a  fallen  opponent  (p.  95),  and  a  small  figure 
of  a  mourning  Siren  (p.  102),  deserve  special  mention. 
Attention  should  be  given  to  the  metal  work  of  this 
time,  illustrated  by  the  graceful  groups  on  bronze  mirror 
cases  shown  in  the  Fourth  Century  Room  (p.  106). 

V.  The  Hellenistic  Period,  300-100  B.  C.,  dated  ap- 
proximately from  the  reign  of  Alexander  to  the  estab- 
lishment of  Roman  power  in  Greece,  shows  a  further 
development  of  tendencies  already  manifest  in  the  fourth 
century.      Individualism  led  to  the  growth  of  vigorous 
portraiture,  exemplified  by  some  of  the  best  sculptures 
in  this  Museum  (pp.  101  and    109).      Ancient  myths, 
no  longer  matters  of  sincere  belief,  were  treated  in  a 
highly  dramatic  and  picturesque  style.      Appreciation 
of  the  charm  of  genre  types  and  scenes  is  shown  in  the 
attractive  terra -cottas  of  Tanagra  (pp.   107  and  108). 

VI.  Graeco-Roman  Art,  100  B.  C.-200  A.  D.     The 
strongly  realistic  style  of  Hellenistic  portraiture  was  in 
harmony  with  the  literalism  of  the   Roman  mind,  and 
the  Roman  period  is  marked  by  a  long  series  of  excellent 


INTRODUCTION  65 

portraits,  not  only  in  large  sculpture  (pp.  Ill  and  120), 
but  on  coins  and  gems.  The  decay  of  original  inspiration 
in  the  arts  is  signalized  by  the  attempt  to  revive  older 
styles,  as  seen  in  the  so-called  archaistic  "  sculptures 
of  Roman  date,  and  by  the  more  or  less  mechanical 
imitation  which  produced  many  copies  of  famous  statues 
of  the  fifth  and  fourth  centuries.  Most  of  the  extant 
ancient  mosaics  and  wall  paintings  are  of  this  period. 
They  teach  us  something  of  the  technique  of  the  graphic- 
arts  of  antiquity,  but  they  do  not  justify  inferences 
regarding  the  quality  'of  the  best  classical  pictures. 
The  arts  of  luxury  and  of  personal  adornment,  encour- 
aged by  the  society  of  Imperial  Rome,  are  illustrated 
in  some  unusually  fine  cameos  (p.  119)  which  have  come 
to  this  Museum  from  two  famous  European  collections. 

The  following  books  are  recommended  as  interesting  intro- 
ductions to  a  knowledge  and  appreciation  of  Greek  Art:  P. 
Gardner,  A  Grammar  of  Greek  Art;  F.  B.  Tarbell,  A  History 
of  Greek  Art;  E.  Gardner,  Handbook  of  Greek  Sculpture; 
Fowler  and  Wheeler,  Handbook  of  Greek  Archaeology.  Sup- 
plementary information  on  Greek  history,  religion,  and  private 
antiquities  is  given  in  convenient  form  by  L.  Whibley  (ed.), 
Companion  to  Greek  Studies.  These  books,  and  many  detailed 
studies  of  the  several  departments  of  ancient  art,  as  well  as 
books  of  reference  and  important  periodicals  devoted  to  clas- 
sical art  and  archaeology,  are  to  be  found  in  the  Library  of 
the  Museum.  A  large  collection  of  photographs  of  classical 
sculpture,  including  the  Brunn-Bruckmann  series,  is  also  in 
the  Library.  The  Museum  publishes  a  special  catalogue  of 
its  collection  of  casts  of  Greek  and  Roman  sculpture. 


66 


CLASSICAL    ART 


Cybde  Marble,  about  300  B.  C. 

This  colossal  statue  is  probably  to  be  identified  as  Cybele, 
the  Mother  of  the  Gods.  Traces  of  the  throne  or  seat, 
which  was  not  made  in  one  piece  with  the  statue  itself,  are 
seen  beneath  the  left  arm.  The  folds  of  the  drapery  are 
arranged  in  a  harmonious  composition  which  is  not  lost  in 
elaboration  of  detail. 


ARCHAIC  ROOM 


Statuette  of  the  Cretan  Snake  Goddess 
Irnry  and  Gold;  Sixteenth  Century  B.C. 

Example?  of  sculpture  on  a  large  scale  are  hardly  to 
be  found  among  the  relics  of  Minoan  art,  but  frescoes, 
statuettes,  and  small  reliefs  show  that  the  Cretan  artists 
could  impart  to  their  representations  of  the  human  form 
the  same  vigorous  life  which  pervades  their  decorative 
designs.  In  this  statuette  the  proud  pose,  the  keen 
expression  of  the  face,  and  the  set  of  the  tense,  sinewy, 
yet  graceful  arm  compel  admiration  no  less  than  the 
technical  skill  with  which  the  gold  trimmings  were 
applied  to  the  elaborate  Minoan  dress. 


68 


CLASSICAL  ART 


Limestone,  Sixth  Century  B.  C. 


This  figure  was  doubtless  conceived  as  the  guardian 
of  the  tomb  over  which  it  was  erected  as  a  monument. 
The  combination  of  the  front  view  of  the  head  with  the 
side  view  of  the  body  and  the  symmetrical  arrange- 
ment of  the  locks  of  the  mane  are  characteristic  of  the 
archaic  style  which  sought  striking  decorative  compo- 
sition rather  than  natural  representation.  It  may  be 
supposed  that  the  sculptor  knew  lions  only  as  they 
were  depicted  in  Oriental  art. 


ARCHAIC  ROOM 


69 


Girl's  Head 


Limestone,  Sieth  Century  B.  Q. 


Among  the  most  interesting  and  popular  of  archaic 
statues  are  the  "Maidens,"  found  on  the  Acropolis  of 
Athens  thirty  yean  ago.  The  head  from  Sicyon,  pictured 
above,  has  something  of  their  delicacy  and  charm,  although 
they  are  of  Parian  marble  and  this  fragment  is  of  a  coarse- 
grained limestone.  The  tapering  face,  the  crescent  smile, 
and  the  slanting,  narrowed  eyes,  are  characteristic  of  a 
time  when  Ionian  ideas  controlled  the  artistic  expression 
of  Greece.  In  this  instance  the  conventional  rendering  of 
the  hair  is  unusually  attractive. 


CLASSICAL  ART 


Riatite  o/i7  Jl/rtn1      JAmeslnne.  Si.rfJi  Century  B.C. 

This  figure  is  a  variant  from  the  "Apollo  type  "  preva- 
lent in  the  archaic  period.  The  left  leg  was  probably 
advanced ,  and  the  left  arm  is  held  down  stiffly  at  the  side, 
but  the  right  arm  was  slightly  bent  and  may  have  held 
some  attribute.  The  chief  interest  of  the  work,  however, 
is  in  the  very  characteristic  rendering  of  the  head.  The 
carving  of  the  mouth  and  of  the  cheeks,  fringed  by  the 
short  beard,  gives  the  face  an  air  of  individuality  almost 
suggestive  of  portraiture. 

1  Lent  by  Dr.  Denman  W.  Ross. 


ARCHAIC    ROOM 


The  gravestone,  figured 
opposite,  was  found  in  the 
Troad.  Such  slender  stone 
slabs,  often  decorated  with 
painting  or  low  relief  and 
crowned  with  delicate  or- 
nament, were  the  usual 
type  of  grave  monument 
toward  the  end  of  the  sixth 
century. 


Gravestone     Sixth  Century  Ti.C. 


Artemis 
Sixth  Century  B.  C. 


The  small  bronzes  form  an  inter- 
esting supplement  to  the  marbles 
possessed  by  the  Museum,  in  illus- 
trating the  development  of  plastic 
art  in  Greece. 

An  inscription  engraved  on  the 
figure  here  shown  tells  that  a  cer- 
tain Chimaridas  of  Elis  offered  it 
to  Artemis  Daedalia.  The  Doric 
dress  is  drawn  smoothly  around 
the  figure  in  front  in  a  way  which 
recalls  the  form  of  archaic  cult 
images;  the  statuette  is  probably 
an  imitation  of  some  earlier  statue 
of  the  goddess.  It  has  the  simple 
dignity  of  the  careful  religious  art 
of  the  sixth  century  B.  C. 


Athlete 
Sixtli  Century  B.  C. 

form   has   been  shaped  to  suggest 
energy  and  agile  motion. 


CLASSICAL  ART 

This  bronze  statuette  of  an  athlete, 
found  at  Olympia,  recalls  the  influ- 
ence which  the  athletic  games  of  early 
Greece  exerted  on  the  art  of  sculpture. 
Athletic  victories  called  for  commem- 
oration in  sculptural  monuments,  and 
the  artist  had  full  liberty  to  produce 
a  representation  of  the  entire  human 
figure,  a  liberty  which  was  not  allowed 
in  Oriental  art.  Moreover,  games 
and  athletic  practice  gave  him  many 
opportunities  to  develop  his  ideal  of 
manhood.  It  has  been  conjectured 
that  this  figure  is  a  runner.  Like 
most  archaic  statues  of  athletes,  he 
stands  erect,  facing  straight  ahead, 
with  both 
feet  planted 
firmlv ;  but  his 


In  the  Peloponnesus  Hermes  was 
worshipped  as  the  protector  of  the 
flocks.  The  statuette  shown  here 
represents  the  god  with  a  young  ram 
under  one  arm.  He  wears  a  neatly 
fitting  chiton,  a  round  hat,  and  heavy 
boots.  He  carried  in  his  right  hand 
the  symbol  of  his  office  as  herald. 
The  statuette  is  distinguished  by 
vigorous  modelling  expressive  of 
sturdy  physique,  by  finish  of  detail, 
and  by  the  naive  animation  of  the 
face. 


Hermes 
Sixth  Century  B.  C. 


ARCHAIC    ROOM 


73 


• 

Min-nr 


About  500  B.  C. 


The  luxury  and  the  fastidious  taste  of  the  Ionian  Greeks 
are  reflected  in  this  representation  of  Aphrodite.  She  lifts 
her  carefully  arranged  himation  with  one  hand.  The 
hovering  Erotes  (Cupids)  direct  attention  to  the  face  of  the 
goddess.  They  are  so  placed  that  the  support  of  the 
mirror  appears  to  be  gradually  broadened  at  the  top  in 
order  to  carry  the  weight  easily. 


74 


CLASSICAL  ART 


Amphora,  Geometric  Style 


About  800  B.  C. 


The  extinction  of  the  Mycenaean  civilization  and  the  be- 
ginnings of  the  classical  Greek  are  marked  by  the  rise  of  a 
pottery  elaborately  decorated  with  geometrical  designs. 
The  primitive  drawings  of  horses  and  men  which  often 
found  a  place  among  these  are  illustrated  by  this  colossal 
vase  from  Athens.  (Compare  p.  123.) 


ARCHAIC    ROOM 


75 


Oinochoe  Sen-nth  Cintnnj  I',.  C. 

Greek  art  of  the  eighth  and  seventh  centuries  is  almost 
wholly  imitative  of  the  foreign  models  brought  to  Greece  by 
trade  with  Oriental  peoples.  The  oinochoe,  or  wine-jug, 
pictured  here  is  an  example  of  the  pottery  made  on  the 
island  of  Rhodes  at  this  period.  The  lowest  of  the  three 
zones  of  decoration  has  a  lotus  pattern  derived  from  Egyp- 
tian art;  the  second  shows  the  pursuit  of  wild  goats  by  a 
dog,  a  scene  probably  borrowed  from  the  Phoenicians; 
above  are  represented  animals  and  monsters  of  Oriental 
imagination.  The  figures  are  painted  in  black  on  a  ground 
of  buff  color ;  purple  is  also  freely  used  in  the  accentuation 
of  some  forms;  the  heads  are  drawn  in  outline. 


CLASSICAL  ART 


\ 


ARCHAIC    ROOM 


77 


The  practice  of  paint- 
ing figures  in  dark  color 
on  a  light  ground  was 
continued  by  Greek  pot- 
ters until  about  500 
B.  C.  Corinthian  paint- 
ers were  probably  the 
first  to  indicate  details 
within  the  figures  by 
lines  engraved  through 
the  black  paint.  This 
method  was  further  de- 
veloped by  the  Attic 
vase  painters  of  the  sixth 
century,  whose  vases, 
excelling  others  in 
beauty  of  material  and 
shape,  and  in  interest  of 
color  and  design,  drove 
the  painted  pottery  of 
other  cities  from  the  market.  Oriental  decorative  motives 
became  in  their  turn  entirely  subordinate  to  human  inter- 
est, and  scenes  from  heroic  mythology,  warfare,  and  do- 
mestic life  constitute  the  chief  ornamentation  of  the  vase. 
The  illustration  above  pictures  an  amphora  (a  two- 
handled  jar)  signed  by  Amasis,  who  is  distinguished  among 
painters  of  the  black-figured  style  for  precision  of  work- 
manship and  a  love  of  the  minute  detail  obtained  by  in- 
cised lines. 

On  the  opposite  page  is  shown  a  kylix  (drinking-cup) 
whose  ornament  is  an  unusual  illustration  of  a  famous  story 
in  the  Odyssey.  The  enchantress  Circe,  a  nude  figure,  orig- 
inally colored  white,  stands  near  the  centre  of  the  picture, 
holding  in  her  hand  a  cup  containing  the  magical  potion 
which  has  half  transformed  Odysseus'  companions  into 
beasts.  At  the  left  Odysseus  is  coming  to  the  rescue.  The 
generally  erect  figures,  radiating  from  the  stem  to  the  rim 
of  the  vase,  form  an  effective  design. 


Amphora  by  Amasis 

Sixifi  Century  B.  C. 


Imitative  modelling  in  terra-cotta 
is  almost  as  old  as  the  shaping  of 
terra-cotta  vases.  Indeed,  primi- 
tive vases,  being  fashioned  freely 
by  hand,  often  take  a  form  rudelv 
resembling  the  human  body.  The 
small  terra-cottas  which  were  pro- 
duced in  such  numbers  in  prehis- 
toric Greece  seem  to  have  served  a 
religious  purpose.  They  generally 
represent  female  figures,  and  wen' 
probably  dedicated  to  a  nature  god- 
dess. Many  dedicatory  terra-cottas 
have  been  found  on  such  sites  as 
that  of  the  famous  temple  of  Hera  at  Argos.  These 
early  images  were  hastily  made  by  hand,  and  often  are 
only  caricatures  of  the  human  form.  From  a  very  early 
period,  Boeotia  was  a  centre  of  the  production  and  use 
of  terra-cottas.  In  the  archaic  period  many  were  made 
in  a  flat  shape  resembling,  it  seems,  board-like  images 
of  wood  which  were  regarded  as  specially  sacred  repre- 
sentations of  deities.  They  are  often  decorated  with 
painted  geometric  patterns.  Some  equally  primitive 
statuettes  of  almost  cylindrical  shape  from  Cyprus  also 
recall  wooden  images,  whose  form,  in  this  instance,  was 
probably  only  a  slight  modification  of  the  tree  trunk. 

In  the  archaic  period  the  art  was  also  applied  to  genre 
subjects.  The  Museum  has  several  interesting  terra- 
cotta figures  of  this  character :  a  barber  at  work,  a  woman 
grating  cheese,  a  wood-carrier  resting  beside  his  bundle 
of  fagots  (see  the  cut  above),  and  other  homely  scenes 
from  the  life  of  ancient  Greece.  There  was  no  lack  of 
terra-cotta  toys :  little  horsemen  on  long-necked  horses, 
carts,  and  even  dolls  with  movable  legs  and  arms 

In  addition  to  terra-cotta  figurines  shown  in  rooms 
on  the  main  floor,  a  supplementary  exhibition  has  been 
placed  in  the  Terra-cotta  Room  on  the  lower  floor. 


FIFTH    CENTURY    ROOM 


79 


Mounted  Warrior 


Marble  Relief  ^about  500  B.  C. 


This  relief  of  the  late  archaic  period  was,  perhaps,  part 
of  a  monument  commemorating  a  man  of  equestrian 
rank.  The  rider,  fully  armed  with  cuirass,  greaves,  high- 
crested  helmet  and  sword,  sits  firmly  and  guides  the 
spirited  horse  with  steady  hand.  The  motion  of  the  group 
is  signalized  by  the  cloak  blown  backward  in  the  wind. 
The  horse's  head,  which  has  been  broken  away,  was 
turned  so  that  it  looked  out  from  the  relief;  this  attitude, 
an  unusually  bold  one  in  archaic  relief,  must  have  added 
much  to  the  animation  of  the  work.  The  treatment  of 
the  drapery  and  the  fine  modelling  of  the  horse's  body 
suggest  that  the  sculptor  was  influenced  by  contemporary 
Attic  art,  if  not  himself  an  Athenian. 


8o 


CLASSICAL    ART 


Mfi 


FIFTH  CENTURY  ROOM  8 1 

This  marble  corresponds  so  closely  in  material,  shape, 
and  style  of  sculpture  with  the  famous  "  Ludovisi 
Throne"  in  Rome,1  that  some  intimate  connection 
between  the  two  must  be  assumed.  The  scene  on  the 
front  of  the  relief  in  Rome  probably  represents  the  birth 
of  Aphrodite ;  the  figures  on  the  wings  —  a  nude  cour- 
tesan playing  the  flutes  and  a  matron  placing  incense 
on  a  censer  —  are  best  explained  as  worshippers,  typi- 
fying two  aspects  of  the  cult.  On  the  front  of  the 
relief  in  Boston  a  smiling,  winged  boy  is  represented 
weighing  two  small  figures  of  youths  in  a  pair  of  scales, 
the  beam  of  which  is  now  missing.  Two  seated  women 
are  interested  spectators :  the  one  to  the  right  bows 
her  head  in  grief,  the  other  smiles  and  raises  her  hand 
in  a  gesture  of  pleased  surprise.  The  single  figures  on 
the  sides  are  again  probably  engaged  in  acts  of  worship, 
and  again  strongly  contrasted  :  on  the  right  wing  a  boy 
seated  on  a  cushion  is  playing  a  lyre,  on  the  left  an  old 
woman  with  wrinkled  face  and  short  hair  sits  on  the 
ground  with  her  knees  drawn  up  and  grasps  a  myste- 
rious object  which  has  been  mostly  chiselled  away. 
The  interpretation  of  the  scene  on  the  front  remains  as 
yet  in  doubt;  but  the  central  figure  is  clearly  Eros,  and 
the  subject  represented  is  probably  some  myth  con- 
nected, with  Aphrodite, —  perhaps,  as  has  been  sug- 
gested, the  contest  between  Aphrodite  and  Persephone 
for  the  possession  of  the  beautiful  youth,  Adonis. 

The  purpose  for  which  the  two  marbles  were  made 
is  also  unclear.  It  was  formerly  supposed  that  the 
Ludovisi  relief  formed  the  back  and  arms  of  a  colossal 
throne  for  the  seated  statue  of  a  goddess ;  but  the  two 
reliefs  are  better  explained  as  parts  of  one  monument, 
perhaps  as  ornaments  set  on  the  two  short  ends  of  a 
long  rectangular  altar.  The  delicately  carved  volutes 

1  Photographs  of  the  monument  in  Rome  are  hung  below  an 
adjoining  window,  and  casts  of  the  two  marbles  may  be  seen 
in  the  East  Cast  Court. 


82 


CLASSICAL  ART 


FIFTH  CENTURY  ROOM  83 

and  palmettes  at  the  angles  of  the  marble  in  Boston 
were  matched  on  its  companion-piece  by  similar 
ornaments,  made  separately  and  now  lost. 

The  sculptures  are  among  the  most  beautiful  and 
interesting  of  the  transitional  "  period  of  Greek  art. 
The  artist  lias  not  yet  fully  mastered  the  problem  of 
translating  the  figures  into  relief.  The  upper  parts  of 
the  bodies  of  the  two  goddesses  are  in  full  front  view, 
while  their  legs  are  in  profile.  Some  folds  of  the  gar- 
int-nts  are  rendered  in  the  archaic  manner,  while  others 
show  the  careful  study  of  actual,  accidental  folds  of 
cloth.  The  strong  influence  of  painting  is  apparent 
throughout,  and  the  artist  evidently  depended  upon 
the  application  of  colors  to  the  marble  to  bring  out 
details  such  as  the  lower  edges  of  the  wings  of  Eros 
and  the  outlines  of  the  mantles  and  caps  worn  by  the 
two  goddesses.  The  strings  of  the  lyre,  the  fillet  of 
the  old  woman,  and  the  latchets  of  the  sandals  were 
left  to  be  supplied  entirely  by  paint.  The  soft,  un- 
athletic  treatment  of  the  nude  forms,  the  rich  draperies, 
and  the  style  of  the  architectural  ornaments  suggest 
that  the  reliefs  are  the  products  of  an  Ionian  school  of 
sculpture. 


Marble  Relief  in  Mutttio  delle  'Ferine,  Rome 


CLASSICAL   ART 


Artemis       Alarble,  Filth  Century  R.  C. 

The  goddess  wears  a  fillet  adorned  with  simple  flowers. 
She  is  probably  Artemis,  one  of  whose  special  attributes 
was  a  garland  of  flowers.  The  head  is  strained  forward  a 
little,  with  an  air  of  alertness.  The  finely  arched  brows 
contribute  to  the  vivacity  of  expression  which  probably 
was  most  evident  in  the  eyes.  These  were  of  another 
material  colored  in  imitation  of  nature. 

The  head  has  been  considered  by  some  scholars  an 
original  of  the  first  half  of  the  fifth  century  B.  C.;  others 
regard  it  as  an  imitation  of  work  of  that  date,  made  in 
Roman  times.  It  has,  at  any  rate,  an  animation  and  a 
freshness  of  style  not  often  attained  in  imitative  sculpture, 
which  generally  reproduces  only  the  superficial  charac- 
teristics of  earlier  art  in  rather  stilted  fashion. 


FIFTH    CENTURY    ROOM 


Grace  Monument       Fifth  Century  B.  C. 


The  grave  monuments  of  the  Greeks  were  important  to 
them  as  associated  with  the  rites  demanded  by  natural 
piety  towards  the  dead.  In  the  fifth  and  fourth  centuries 
B.  C.  they  often  took  the  form  illustrated  here  —  that  of  a 
simple  portico  consisting  of  a  gable  supported  by  pilasters 
and  framing  a  relief  which  had  reference  to  the  former 
occupations  of  the  person  in  whose  memory  it  was  erected. 
On  this  stone  is  represented  an  Attic  lady,  wearing  an 
Ionian  chiton  of  delicate  texture  and  a  himation  of  heavier 
material.  She  looks  at  her  image  in  a  hand  mirror  similar 
to  some  of  the  Greek  bronze  mirrors  exhibited  in  the 
Museum.  Like  many  of  the  grave-reliefs,  it  was  carved 
by  a  sculptor  of  imperfect  skill,  but  it  resembles  the  others, 
too,  in  the  simplicity  of  its  motive  and  in  the  dignity  with 
which  the  subject  is  presented. 


86 


CLASSICAL  ART 


This  fragment  is  from  one 
of  several  replicas  of  a  popu- 
lar statue  of  the  fifth  cen- 
tury B.  C.,  representing 
Diomedes  carrying  the  Pal- 
ladium from  Troy.  A  re- 
production of  a  better 
preserved  copy,  now  in 
Munich,  may  be  seen  among 
the  casts  of  Greek  sculpture. 
The  head  resembles  a  group 
of  sculptures  attributed  to 
Cresilas,  a  Cretan  who  re- 
ceived his  training  in  the 
Athenian  school.  The  square 
jaw,  firm  mouth,  and  level 
brow  portray  a  stout  fighter. 


Diomedes 
Marble,  Graeco-Roman  Copy 


Of  the  great  sculptors  of 
the  fifth  century  Polyclei- 
tus  of  Argos  was  the  most 
popular  in  Roman  times, 
and  countless  copies  and 
adaptations  of  his  works 
have  survived.  This  head, 
perhaps  from  a  statue  of 
Hermes,  illustrates  the 
youthful  athletic  type  for 
which  this  sculptor  was 
most  famed.  In  the  defi- 
nite modelling  of  the 
surface  and  the  sharp  ren- 
dering of  details  of  the 
eyes  and  hair  it  repro- 
duces, better  than  most  copies  in  marble,  the  quality 
of  the  bronze  original. 


Head  of  a  Yoiith 
Marble,  Graeco-Roman  Copy 


FIFTH   CENTURY   ROOM 


87 


The  pose  of  the 
fi  g  u  r  e  illustrated 
here  does  not  show 
a  radical  departure 
from  the  traditions  of 
archaic  art,  yet  it  is 
not  tense  and  rigid 
like  that  of  sixth 
century  statues,  and 
the  freedom  of  the 
attitude  is  empha- 
sized by  the  natural 
though  angular  posi- 
tion of  the  left  arm 
The  outlines  are 
true  and  refined,  and 
though  the  surface 
of  the  body  has  suf- 
fered by  corrosion, 
the  quality  of  its 
modelling  shows  ad- 
vanced understand- 
ing of  the  subject 
and  skill  in  represen- 
tation. The  statu- 
ette is  said  to  have 
been  found  on  the 
site  of  Croton,  a 
town  in  the  south  of  Italy  which  was  famed  for  the  prowess 
of  its  athletes.  It  may  be  supposed  that  the  artists  of  this 
region  had  every  opportunity  to  study  the  athletic  form,  in 
repose  and  in  action. 


i'ijtk  Century  B.  C. 


88 


CLASSICAL  ART 


In  this  wine  pitcher  the 
refinement  of  taste  mani- 
fested by  the  shape  attracts 
attention  first,  but  the  orna- 
ment is  also  interesting  as 
exemplifying  the  tendency 
of  Greek  art  to  representa- 
tion, even  in  decorative 
design.  At  the  base  of  the 
handle  is  a  siren,  with 
wings  delicately  rendered 
in  a  form  of  Oriental  origin. 
At  the  upper  juncture  of 
the  handle  with  the  vase  is 

the   bust   of  a   girl  clad  in 

,^  ,  ..          '   A  ,    Pitcher       Fifth  Century  B.  C. 

a  Doric  chiton.      A  serpent 

is  represented  on  the  back  of  the  handle. 

The  technical  skill  of 
the  Greek  goldsmiths  is 
shown  in  this  unique 
earring.  The  figures 
are  hollow,  and  the 
jewel  is  of  the  slightest 
weight  consistent  with 
strength.  The  details 
of  the  chariot  are  repre- 
sented with  great  care ; 
the  Victory  even  wears 
Earring  Fifth  Century  B.  C.  earrings  and  bracelets. 

Her  garment  is  stirred 

by  the  wind,  and  the  horses  are  prancing,  yet  the  com- 
position is  balanced  and  unified.  The  jewel  is  almost 
intact ;  only  the  colored  enamel  which  filled  the  palmette 
in  front  of  the  hook  is  lost.  It  is  possible  that  the  ear- 
ring belonged  to  a  statue,  perhaps  one  of  the  gold  and 
ivory  statues  of  the  fifth  century  B.  C. 


FIFTH   CENTURY   ROOM 


89 


Kylix 


Fiftfi  Century  B.C. 


The  painters  found  larger  scope  for  their  skill  in  deco- 
rating vases  when  the  colors  were  reversed,  viz.  when  the 
background  was  filled  with  black  paint  and  the  figures  were 
left  in  the  red  color  of  the  clay.  This  method  allowed  a 
free  drawing  of  details  which  took  the  place  of  the  hard 
incised  lines  of  the  black-figured  style. 

The  development  of  the  new  technique  was  accompanied 
by  an  extension  of  the  range  of  subjects.  Scenes  from  the 
palaestra,  in  which  Athenian  athletes  practised  their  games, 
were  much  favored.  The  picture  here  is  from  the  interior 
of  a  kylix.  It  shows  a  young  athlete  running  with  jumping 
weights  in  his  hands.  The  figure  occupies  the  circular 
space  effectively,  and  is  vigorously  drawn.  In  its  combina- 
tion of  profile  and  front  views  it  marks  a  continuance  of  an 
archaic  mode  of  representation. 


CLASSICAL  ART 


Drawing  from  a  Kantharos 

So  few  vessels  of  silver  and  bronze  have  survived,  in  com- 
parison with  the  many  terra-cotta  vases  which  have  been 
recovered  from  graves  in  Italy  and  Greece,  that  it  is  easy  to 
forget  in  what  measure  the  latter  are  imitations  of  metal  ori- 
giimls,  though  their  imitative  character  is  manifested  in  the 
excessively  thin  ware  affected  by  Attic  potters  of  the  best 
period,  in  the  shapes  of  their  vases,  and  in  the  lustrous  paint. 
The  cup  shown  here  is  obviously  modelled  after  a  metal 
kantharos  of  exceptionally  beautiful,  though  simple  form. 
The  tall  handles  are  thin  and  fiat,  like  bands  of  metal.  The 
decoration  is  in  a  style  worthy  of  the  shape.  On  one  side  is 

represented  a  nymph  fleeing 
from  a  god,  on  the  other  a 
man  or  god  in  pursuit  of  a 
boy  who  has  been  playing 
with  hoop  and  stick.  The 
principal  lines  of  the  figures 
and  of  the  drapery  express 
impetuous  movement;  the 
finely  crumpled  folds  of  linen 
are  contrasted  with  the 
broader  folds  of  the  woollen 
-—'  garment.  The  vigorous  style 

Kantharos    Fifth  Century  B.  C.  of    drawing    is    found    on    a 

number  of    vases  signed   by 

Brygos,  and  this  cup,  though  unsigned,  was  certainly 
decorated  by  the  same  master.      (Compare  p.  124.) 


FIFTH    CENTURY    ROOM 


Kylix  signed  by  Hieron 


Fifth  Century  B.  C. 


The  above  picture  is  from  the  interior  of  a  kylix.  It  illus- 
trates an  Attic  legend :  the  story-  of  Cephalus,  the  young 
Athenian  hunter  who  was  carried  off  by  the  goddess  Eos, 
the  Dawn.  She  has  grasped  his  arm,  and  he  turns  his  head 
with  a  gesture  of  surprise ;  her  look  is  directed  upwards,  as 
if  already  planning  her  flight  with  him  into  the  sky.  The 
character  of  the  drawing  is  not  like  that  on  most  of  the 
vases  from  the  atelier  of  Hieron,  and  although  signed 
by  him,  the  vase  was  apparently  decorated  by  an  un- 
usually skillful  and  original  painter  in  his  employ  wh<> 
did  not  neglect  abstract  beauty  of  line,  but  subordinated 
it  to  expression  of  motion  and  of  individuality. 


92 


CLASSICAL   ART 


The  drawing  illustrated  on  this 
page  is  from  an  oil-jug  which  be- 
longs to  a  later  stage  of  the  red- 
figured  period.  The  subject  is  an 
Athenian  myth,  the  contest  of 
Theseus  with  the  Amazons.  It 
will  be  noted  that  the  figures  do 
not  all  stand  on  the  same  level 
here;  there  is  an  indication  of 
rough  ground.  The  artists  have 
solved  certain  problems  of  repre- 
sentation which  long  baffled  the 
older  painters:  the  rendering  of 
the  eye  in  profile,  for  instance. 
There  is  less  of  angularity  in  the 
composition  than  in  the  work  of 


Lekythos 
Fifth  Century  B.  C. 

earlier  painters,  yet  energy  is  not  sacrificed  to  grace,  and 
the  drawing  is  still  firm  and  vigorous.  This  style  of  deco- 
ration was  perhaps  specially  influenced  by  the  frescoes  of 
Polygnotus  and  his  contemporaries. 


1 


?i  a  LekyiJios 


FIFTH    CENTURY    ROOM 


93 


Pyxis,  Odysseus  and  Nausicaa 


Fifth  Century  B.  C. 


This  picture,  from  the  cover  of  a  small  round  box,  illus- 
trates a  story  in  the  Odyssey  —  the  meeting  of  Odysseus 
and  Nausicaa.  Odysseus,  awakened  by  the  cries  of  the 
Phaeacian  princess  and  her  maidens,  who  are  at  play  by 
the  seashore,  comes  cautiously  from  the  thicket  where  he 
has  slept.  Athena,  his  patron  goddess,  leads  the  way.  Two 
of  the  maids  are  running  away  in  fright;  one  is  busy  with 
the  washing  of  a  garment  and  does  not  see.  The  princess 
herself  stands  erect,  calmly  waiting  the  approach  of  the 
stranger.  The  variety  and  truth  of  characterization  are 
remarkable  in  so  unpretentious  a  picture. 


94 


CLASSICAL  ART 


I'.N  GRAVED    CiEMS 

Intaglio  seals  present  a  tradition  of  unbroken  con- 
tinuity from  the  primitive  Cretan  civilization  to  that 
of  classical  Greece  and  Rome.  Impressions  of  seven 
gems  of  the  earlier  periods  are  reproduced  above,  six 
of  them  illustrating  the  stones  most  favored  by  the 
gem  cutters:  sard  (2,  6),  chalcedony  (l,  3\  agate  (?), 
jasper  (4).  The  lively  but  careless  representation  of  a 
cow  suckling  her  calf  on  the  Mycenaean  seal  (l)  is  in 
striking  contrast  to  the  precise  rendering  of  the  griffin 
attacking  a  stag  (s),  a  work  of  the  early  fifth  century, 
still  archaic  in  execution  and  subject.  The  grazing 
stag  (2)  is  done  in  a  more  natural  manner.  An  increas- 
ing fondness  for  the  human  figure  is  illustrated  by  the 
representation  of  Danae  (4),  a  work  reflecting  the  spirit 
of  Pheidian  art,  and  by  the  graceful  crouching  figure 
of  a  girl  playing  knuckle-bones  (o)  on  a  gold  ring  of 
about  400  B.  C.  The  characteristics  of  Etruscan  gems. 
pronounced  modelling  of  the  muscles  and  ingenious 
adaptation  of  the  subject  to  the  field,  will  be  recog- 
nized in  the  two  examples  above  (6,  7). 


FIRST  MARBLE  ROOM 


Amazon  in  Battle 


Marble,  Fourth  Century  B.  C. 


An  Amazon  on  horseback  and  a  fallen  opponent  con- 
stituted the  group  of  which  the  extant  fragment  is  illus- 
trated on  this  page.  Only  the  forearm  of  the  latter  figure 
is  preserved.  It  was  apparently  raised  to  shield  his  body 
from  the  threatening  spear  of  the  woman-warrior.  The 
battle  of  Theseus  with  the  Amazons  was  a  theme  which 
offered  the  dramatic  contrasts  and  pathetic  situations 
sought  by  sculptors  in  the  later  years  of  the  fifth  century 
and  in  the  fourth  century  B.  C.  The  vitality  imparted  to 
every  detail  of  such  a  composition  by  the  best  skill  of  the 
time  is  illustrated  in  this  mutilated  marble.  The  spring  of 
the  horse  is  clearly  seen;  the  rendering  of  muscles  shows 
the  excitement  accompanying  the  motion.  The  edge  of  the 
rider's  garment  is  driven  back  in  wavy  folds;  the  vigorous 
form  and  fine  outlines  of  the  thigh  and  knee  appear  above 
the  heavy  Thracian  boot. 


96 


CLASSICAL  ART 


Statue  of  a  Boi/ 

Marble,  Fourth  Century  B.  C. 

The  statue  has  no  attribute  by  which  its  exact  signifi- 
cance and  purpose  can  be  determined.  It  is  an  ideal  statue 
of  a  boy,  sixteen  years  old,  perhaps;  not  an  athlete,  if  one 
may  judge  from  the  softness  of  the  body  and  the  lack  of 
emphasis  on  structure  and  muscular  development.  The 
easy  grace  of  the  attitude  and  the  fine  poise  of  the  head  re- 
call the  Athenian  youths  on  the  Parthenon  frieze.  Ixmg 
exposure  has  given  the  Pentelic  marble  a  warm  tone  which 
heightens  the  effect  of  vitality  in  the  modelling  of  the  figure. 


FIRST    MARBLE    ROOM 


97 


Aphrodite 


Marble,  Fourth  Century  B.  C. 


The  grain  and  slight  translucency  of  the  marble  are 
here  peculiarly  adapted  to  the  artist's  aim.  The  fine 
oval  shape  of  the  face,  the  quality  of  the  modelling, 
and  the  expressiveness  of  the  features  show  that  this 
head  is  the  work  of  an  Attic  master,  probably  of  the 
School  of  Praxiteles. 


98 


CLASSICAL   ART 


M(trl>li>.  Gratoo-Tfoman  < '<>/>>/ 


The  hero  stands  in  the  simple  pose  of  the  athletic 
statues  of  the  middle  of  the  fifth  century.  His  body  is 
powerfully  developed,  and  weariness  is  suggested  by  the 
droop  of  the  head,  but  these  elements  are  not  exagger- 
ated, as  in  later  representations  of  Heracles.  The  origi- 
nal, probably  of  bronze  and  on  the  same  scale,  has  been 
ascribed  to  the  Attic  sculptor,  Myron.  Its  style  has  been 
reproduced  with  unusual  fidelity  by  the  Roman  copyist. 


SECOND  MARBLE  ROOM  99 


Head  from  Chios  Marble,  Fourth  Century  B.  C. 

A  veil  originally  covered  the  top  and  back  of  this  head, 
which  was  made  separately  for  insertion  in  a  draped 
statue.  The  soft,  subtle  modelling  and  the  impression- 
istic treatment  of  some  details  point  to  an  artist  closely 
related  to  Praxiteles,  if  not  to  that  master  himself. 

The  face  is  that  of  a  modest  girl,  the  soul  of  gentleness, 
radiant  with  quiet  pleasure,  diffusing  unconsciously  her 
happiness  and  youth  around  her." 


IOO 


CLASSICAL    ART 


MarUf,  Graeco-Roman 

The  slender  neck  and  small  head  seem  inconsistent  with 
so  massive  a  frame,  yet  this  fragment  has  an  enduring  at- 
tractiveness, due,  perhaps,  to  the  attitude  of  melancholy 
revery,  unconscious  of  all  observers.  Such  a  mood  is 
appropriate  to  Hermes  as  conductor  of  souls  to  the  world 
of  the  dead. 


SECOND    MARBLE    ROOM 


IOI 


Head  of  Homer 


Marble,  Hellenistic 


Artists  of  the  Hellenistic  period  (300-100  B.  C.)  not 
only  portrayed  contemporaries,  but  also  sought  to  embody 
in  marble  or  bronze  their  ideas  of  great  men  of  the  past. 
To  this  effort  we  owe  the  imaginary  portraits  of  Homer, 
one  of  the  best  of  which  is  in  this  Museum.  It  follows  tra- 
dition in  representing  the  poet  as  aged  and  blind.  In  spite 
of  the  unsparing  realism  which  has  shown  the  failing  of 
physical  vigor,  thet  intellectual  power  of  the  head  is  un- 
mistakable. The  tone  of  color  which  the  marble  has  taken 
on  is  in  harmony  with  the  subject. 


10 


CLASSICAL   ART 


Siren 


Marble,  Fourth  Century  B.  C. 


Sirens,  imagined  as  half  bird,  lialf  woman,  were  especially 
associated  with  death  and  so  were  often  represented  on 
grave  monuments.  The  one  figured  above  is  a  fragment  of 
such  a  monument.  She  is  mourning  for  the  dead;  grief  is 
expressed  in  the  attitude  —  one  hand  clutching  the  hair, 
the  other  laid  on  the  breast  —  and  in  the  face.  The  deeply- 
shadowed  eyes  and  the  contracted  brow  are  specially 
characteristic  of  a  period  of  art  which  sought  to  portray 
individual  character  and  even  transitory  feeling. 


FOURTH    CENTURY    ROOM 


103 


Torso 


MarUe,  alout  300  B.  C. 


The  skill  with  which  the  Greek  sculptor  employed  trans- 
parent and  clinging  drapery  to  emphasize  a  noble  form  is 
illustrated  by  the  fragment  shown  on  this  page.  Its  dig- 
nity and  animation  are  characteristic  of  classical  art  in  its 
worthiest  representations  of  the  gods. 


CLASSICAL  ART 


111  Illl   (>f   II      Yoll/ll 

Marble,  Graeco- Roman  Copy 

The  practice  of  modelling 
in  terra-cotta  was  adapted 
to  the  decoration  of  vases ; 
some  were  even  shaped  in 
imitation  of  human  or  ani- 
mal heads.  The  elaborate 
plastic  ornament  of  the 
lekythos  illustrated  here  al- 
most obscures  the  fact  that 
it  is  a  vase.  The  new-born 
Aphrodite  is  springing  from 
an  opening  sea  shell ;  Erotes 
hover  on  either  side,  so  that 
the  group  seems  to  have  an 
upward  movement. 


Scopas  perhaps  contrib- 
uted more  than  any  other 
sculptor  of  the  fourth  cen- 
tury B.  C.  to  that  devel- 
opment of  the  expression 
of  character  and  feeling 
which  marks  the  art  of 
the  period.  This  head  is 
a  copy  of  some  unknown 
work  of  Scopas  or  of  one 
of  his  pupils.  Great  in- 
tensity of  expression  is 
given  by  the  upward  gaze 
of  the  shadowed  eyes  ;  the 
structure  of  the  head  sug- 
gests physical  strength, 
the  parted  lips  and  full 
throat  a  restless  vitality. 


Plastic  Ltkythog 

Fourth  Century  Jt.  C 


FOURTH    CENTURY    ROOM 


105 


Amptwra  Fourth  Century  B.  C. 

A  fine  example  of  the  colossal  vases  made  in  Southern 
Italy  in  the  fourth  century  B.  C.  The  scene  on  the  front 
shows  Achilles,  attended  by  Phoenix,  seated  on  a  couch. 
In  the  foreground  among  overturned  vases  lies  the  headless 
body  of  Thersites,  and  at  a  little  distance  the  head.  The 
use  of  plastic  ornament  and  of  added  white  color  is  char- 
acteristic of  the  later  period  of  vase  painting. 


CLASSICAL   ART 


Mirror  Case 


Fourth  Century  B.  C. 


Circular  mirror-cases  were  often  decorated  with  reliefs 
of  fine  technique,  made  by  hammering  a  thin  plate  of 
bronze  into  an  intaglio  mould.  The  finish  of  detail  possible 
in  such  work  is  evident  in  the  group  of  a  Centaur  and  a 
nymph  pictured  above.  The  composition  is  balanced  and 
ingeniously  planned  to  obscure  the  monstrous  nature  of 
the  Centaur.  The  folds  of  the  lion  skin  tied  about  the 
Centaur's  shoulders  and  of  the  drapery  of  the  nymph  are 
rendered  with  a  delicacy  and  grace  of  line  appropriate  to 
the  spirit  of  the  theme  and  to  the  decorative  effect  desired 
in  a  design  on  a  mirror-case. 


FOURTH   CEXTl'RY   ROOM 


In  the  classical  period  terra-cotta  figurines  were  usually 
shaped  in  moulds  of  the  same  material.  A  number  of 
such  moulds,  found  in  Asia  Minor,  in  Italy, and  in  Egypt, 
are  shown  in  the  Terra-Cotta  Room  downstairs.  Usually 
a  figure  was  moulded  in  several  parts.  With  a  rela- 
tively small  number  of  moulds  a  great  variety  of  forms 
could  thus  be  produced  through  different  combinations 
of  heads  and  arms  and  wings  with  bodies.  It  is  sur- 
prising that  these  somewhat  mechanical  combinations 
do  not  result  in  more  conspicuous  faults  of  proportion 
and  line.  The  more  careful  artificers  added  details  by 
hand,  giving  an  individuality  of  expression  to  the  face 
which  would  be  impossible  in  mechanical  modelling 
After  baking,  the  flesh,  hair,  eyes,  and  lips  were 
appropriately  colored ;  bright  tones  of  pink  and  blue 
were  often  applied  to  the  dress. 

This  finish  of  detail  characterizes  the  figurines  which 
have  been  discovered  on  the  site  of  the  little  city  of  Tanagra 
in  Boeotia.  Their  date  is  from  about  the  middle  of  the 
fourth  century  B.  C.  to  the  end  of  the  third.  Although 
found  in  cemeteries,  there  is  no  evidence  of  religious  pur- 
pose in  their  manufacture.  They  probably  have  no  other 
significance  than  the  one  most  naturally  attached  to  them: 


io8 


CLASSICAL  ART 


Fi<i  H  rims,  itl-nnt  ,n>i)  fi.  C. 


they  are  graceful  representations  of  ladies  and  youths  and 
children  as  they  walked,  talked,  and  played.  The  types  of 
Tanagra  ladies  are  far  the  most  common,  but  have  great 
variety  of  attitude  and  motive.  Their  dress,  usually  con- 
sisting of  a  chiton  reaching  to  the  feet  and  an  ample  hima- 
tion,  could  be  disposed  in  numberless  pleasing  ways.  They 
suggest  very  vividly  at  least  the  outward  charm  of  Greek 
life,  as  one  might  have  seen  it  in  the  streets  of  Athens. 


Tanagra  Figurlnu,  about  300  B.  C 


LATE  GREEK   ROOM 


ICQ 


Portrait  of  a  Lady          Bronze,  about  300  B.  C. 


The  conquests  of  Alexander  placed  Macedonian  rulers 
over  the  ancient  kingdoms  of  the  Orient,  and  introduced  in 
Egypt  and  Syria  an  aristocracy  of  Macedonians  and 
Greeks.  The  lady  whose  portrait  is  shown  here  undoubt- 
edly belonged  to  this  class;  found  in  Egypt,  it  is  pos- 
sibly the  portrait  of  Arsinoe  II  (born  about  316  B.  C.). 
It  appears  to  be  considerably  idealized,  yet  the  features 
are  expressive  of  a  distinct  personality:  the  individual 
shape  of  the  nose  and  the  lips  is  noticeable.  The  detailed 
treatment  of  the  hair  is  very  fine,  and  is  in  interesting 
contrast  with  the  more  impressionistic  method  demanded 
by  the  technique  of  marble.  The  eyes  were  of  another 
material  and  were  inserted. 


I  IO 


CLASSICAL  ART 


Port  rait 


This  head  is  sculptured  in  <jray  Asiatic  marble  of 
very  fine,  close  grain,  and  has  a  surface  polish  which 
is  quite  unusual  in  ancient  sculpture.  The  mastery  of 
material  which  has  enabled  the  sculptor  to  reproduce 
the  hard  lines  of  the  face  and  the  texture  of  the  skin 
permits  us  to  suppose  that  it  is  a  truthful  portrait,  and 
that  if  more  were  known  of  the  subject  his  experience 
and  character  would  prove  to  be  reflected  in  this  mar- 
ble. Details  of  technique  show  that  it  is  to  be  assigned 
to  the  second  century  A.  D. 


LATE   GREEK    ROOM 


1  II 


Roman  Portrait  Terra-cotta,  First  Century  B.  C. 

The  head  shown  above  is  unique  as  a  portrait  in  terra- 
cotta, probably  made  with  the  use  of  a  life  mask.  The  face 
is  more  natural  and  animated  than  most  casts  from  life,  and 
the  pose  of  the  head  seems  characteristic  of  the  man.  The 
artist  has  sketched  the  hair  and  has  suggested  the  momen- 
tary glance  of  the  keen  eyes.  Vividness  of  expression  and 
literal  rendering  of  detail  make  the  head  seem  surprisingly 
modern.  The  subject  is  a  Roman  of  the  last  century  of  the 
Republic. 


112 


CLASSICAL  ART 


Found  in  the  valley 
of  the  Rhine,  not  far 
from  C  o  b  1  e  n  z,  this 
statuette  is  a  relic  of 
the  extension  of 
Roman  imperial  power 
over  western  Germany. 
It  reproduces  a  sculp- 
tural type  of  the  fifth 
century  B.  C.  A  dis- 
tinguished scholar  has 
conjectured  that  it  is  a 
copy  of  the  Athena 
Promachos  of  Pheid- 
ias,  the  colossal  statue 
of  bronze  which  stood 
on  the  Acropolis  of 
Athens.  The  arrange- 
ment of  the  dress  re- 
calls that  of  other 
statues  of  Athena 
which  are  attributed 
to  Pheidias  and  his  as- 
sociates. The  width  of 
the  aegis,  enveloping 

the  body  like  a  cloak, 

i  •          i» 
is  unusual  in  sculpture. 

The  goddess  held  her     Athena 

spear  in  the  left  hand.      The  attitude  of  the  figure  has 

a   constraint  which  is  probably  to  be   attributed  to  the 

copyist. 


LATH  GREEK   ROOM 


Fourth  Century  B.  C. 


The  artists  of  the  period  to  which  this  figure  is  attributed 
knew  so  well  how  to  please  the  eye  through  qualities  of 
composition  and  general  harmony  of  lines  that  even  their 
less  careful  work  is  valued.  This  statuette  is  considered 
one  of  the  most  beautiful  in  the  collection  of  the  Museum, 
although  its  proportions  are  not  faultless,  and  some  details 
are  neglected.  Perhaps  the  most  important  element  of 
its  attractiveness  is  the  simple  and  unaffected  attitude, 
which  has  repose  and  yet  suggests  the  possibility  of  grace- 
ful motion. 


CLASSICAL    ART 


The  many  offices 
of  Hermes  are  re- 
flected in  the  vari- 
ety of  forms  under 
which  the  god  is 
represented  in 
Greek  art.  The 
archaic  statuette  il- 
lustrated on  page 
72  shows  him  as  a 
god  of  the  flocks. 
The  figure  pictured 
here  has  unfortu- 
nately lost  its  spe- 
cial attributes,  but 
the  left  hand  origi- 
nally carried  the 
wand  of  his  au- 
thority as  herald 
of  Zeus;  in  the 
right  may  have 
been  a  purse,  the 
symbol  of  his  asso- 
ciation with  trade. 
It  will  be  noted 
that  after  the  ar- 
chaic period  he  is 
always  represented 
as  a  youthful  god.  His  function  as  patron  of  athletes 
may  have  led  to  this  transformation  of  the  type.  There 
is  a  reminiscence  of  fifth  century  art  in  the  proportions 
of  the  figure. 


Hermes 


Graeco-Roman 


LATE   GREEK    ROOM 


Cista 


Etruscan,  Third  Century  B.  C. 


Most  of  the  cylindrical  bronze  boxes  of  the  type  illus- 
trated above  have  been  found  at  Palestrina  (ancient 
Prseneste) ;  but  the  style  of  their  ornamentation  marks 
them  as  objects  of  Etruscan  art.  The  drawings  with  which 
the  cylindrical  surface  and  the  cover  are  adorned  are 
of  the  same  technique  and  style  as  those  on  Etruscan 
mirrors.  The  chain  handles  are  attached  by  rinses 
which  are  fastened  to  the  box  without  regard  to  the  en- 
graved design.  On  one  side  of  this  cista  is  shown  a  camp 
scene ;  on  the  other  are  Furies  pursuing  a  young  man ;  on 
the  lid,  Dionysus  and  his  attendants.  Three  lions  in  high 
relief  crouch  on  the  feet  which  support  the  cista.  Such 
boxes  often  held  the  small  utensils  of  the  lady's  toilet  — 
mirrors,  perfumes,  unguents,  and  rouge. 


CLASSICAL   ART 

Some  works  in  terra-cottawere 
apparently  scrupulous  copies  of 
popular  statues.  Such  a  copy 
of  the  famous  "Diadumenos'' 
of  Polycleitus  is  known.  The 
figure  shown  here  apparently 
belongs  to  this  class  of  direct 
copies,  although  the  original  has 
not  been  identified.  The  subject 
is  Aphrodite,  but  the  form  and 
motive,  as  often  in  Hellenistic  art, 
are  human.  In  perfection  of  de- 
tail and  harmony  of  proportions 
it  is  at  once  distinguished  from 
the  common  figurines  of  indus- 
trial manufacture.  The  color  of 
the  clay  is  an  indication  that  the 
statuette  was  made  in  Smyrna. 
This  figure  of  a  reclining  Heracles,  found  in  Southern 
Italy,  is  also  probably  an  imitation  of  a  work  on  a  larger 
scale  and  in  a  more  valuable  material.  The  hero  has  the 
excessive  muscular  development  which  Hellenistic  sculptors 

attributed  to    

him,  vet  even 
in  this  imita- 
tive work  the 
head  is  char- 
acterized by 
marks  of  the 
intellectual 
power  which 
controls  and 
directs  the 
physical 
strength. 


Aphrodite 


Ileraclfs 


m  Southern  Italy 


LATE   GREEK   ROOM 


Statuettes  from  Mi/rina,  Sec 


ry  B.  f1. 


The  necropolis  of  Myrina,  a  city  of  Asia  Minor,  not  far 
from  Smyrna,  has  also  yielded  many  terra-cotta  figurines. 
They  belong  for  the  most  part  to  a  somewhat  later  date  than 
do  the  Tanagra  statuettes.  Types  of  Eros  and  Aphrodite 
are  very  common  among  them.  The  figure  at  the  right  on 
this  page,  an  Eros  represented  as  drawing  a  sword,  is  a 
spirited  example  of  the  Myrina  terra-cottas. 

The  figure  at  the  left,  also  from  Myrina,  was  not  made 
in  a  mould,  but  carefully  fashioned  by  hand.  The  subject 
is  again  Eros,  but  he  is  here  a  child,  as  often  in  Hellenistic 
and  Graeco-Roman  art,  and  almost  universally  in  modern 
pictures  and  sculpture.  The  whimsical  fancy  which  has 
dressed  this  small  god  in  the  lion-skin  of  Heracles  is  equally 
characteristic  of  the  Hellenistic  age.  The  figure  shows  the 
sympathy  with  which  the  late  Greek  artists  studied  and 
represented  the  forms  of  children. 


CLASSICAL   ART 


ENGRAVED  GEMS 

The  later  development  of  the  art  of  gem  engraving 
is  illustrated  by  the  examples  shown  above.  The  figure 
of  a  wounded  warrior  on  an  Italiote  gem  should  be 
compared  with  the  treatment  of  the  same  subject  on 
an  archaic  Etruscan  scarab  (see  p.  94).  Along  with  a 
distinct  loss  of  freshness  and  vigor,  the  impression  is 
given  of  a  conscious  striving  for  effect  on  the  part  of 
the  artist.  The  same  suggestion  of  a  studied  pose  de- 
tracts from  the  beauty  of  the  intaglio  of  Hermes  with 
a  lyre,  a  work  of  the  Augustan  Age.  The  scene  on 
the  second  seal  is  Alexandrian  in  spirit;  a  Triton  is 
swimming  in  the  sea,  supporting  a  Nereid  on  his  back, 
while  a  Cupid  and  a  dolphin  sport  in  the  waves  before 
them.  The  excellence  of  the  Romans  in  the  field  of 
portraiture  is  illustrated  by  the  two  intaglio  heads  in 
the  lower  row  and  the  cameo  of  green  turquoise  with 
the  busts  of  Livia  and  the  young  Tiberius. 


LATE  GREEK   ROOM 


119 


Cameo  Graeco-Roman 


( 'ameos,  representations  in  relief  cut  in  precious  stones, 
were  highly  prized  by  the  Romans  of  the  Imperial  period. 
For  the  work  illustrated  here,  one  of  the  most  renowned  ex- 
amples of  cameo  engraving,  the  artist  chose  a  sardonyx 
with  a  layer  of  cafe-au-lait  tinge  above  another  of  black, 
adapting  the  contrast  of  tones  to  a  scene  lit  by  a  torch. 

Erotes,  or  Cupids,  were  often  shown  playing  as  grown-up 
people.  Here  they  are  engaged  at  a  wedding.  A  sturdy 
torch-bearer  leads  Eros  and  Psyche  by  a  fillet.  Eros  clasps 
a  dove  in  his  hands.  Psyche,  clad  in  a  long  robe,  with 
butterfly  wings,  walks  close  by  his  side;  both  are  veiled. 
To  the  left  an  Eros  holds  a  basket  of  fruit  over  their  heads; 
to  the  right  another  stands  near  the  couch. 

The  group  is  so  naturally  composed  and  so  animated  that 
one  almost  forgets  the  subtlety  of  the  technique  which  has 
given  the  idea  complete  and  delicate  expression  under  the 
difficult  conditions  presented  by  the  material  and  the  size  of 
the  gem.  The  cameo  is  signed  by  the  artist,  Tryphon.  In 
the  last  century  it  was  in  the  collection  of  the  Duke  of 
Marlborough,  to  which  it  came  from  the  Arundel  collection. 


I2O 


CLASSICAL  ART 


Divine  honors  were  accorded  to  the  emperor  Augustus 
in  the  provinces  of  the  Roman  empire  even  in  his  life- 
time, ami  the  demand  for  portraits  of  him  must  have 
been  incessant.  The  head  here  reproduced  shows  him 
as  a  man  of  mature  years.  In  its  marked  but  not 
exaggerated  realism  it  is  in  interesting  contrast  to 
another  head  of  Augustus  exhibited  nearby.  The 
latter  is  an  idealization  rather  than  a  portrait. 

The  subject  of  the  second  portrait  illustrated  above 
is  not  known;  apparently  it  is  a  Roman  lady  of  the 
time  of  the  Antonines,  for  she  wears  her  hair  in  the 
fashion  of  Faustina,  the  wife  of  Antoninus  Pius.  "A 
breathing  likeness  of  an  intelligent,  somewhat  master- 
ful, and  above  all,  aristocratic  woman.  Her  eyes  are 
small  and  near  together,  the  nose  is  rather  aquiline, 
the  mouth  expressive,  the  jaw  firm.  The  fine  head  is 
admirably  poised.  " 


GRAECO-ROMAN  COURT 


121 


Cast  from  an  Arretine  Mould 


Vintage  Scene 


Arretium  in  Etruria  was  the  centre  of  the  manufacture  of 
red  glazed  pottery  with  decoration  in  relief,  whose  motives 
were  probably  copied  from  the  work  of  Hellenistic  silver- 
smiths. Casts  from  terra-cotta  moulds  made  for  the  pro- 
duction of  this  pottery  are  shown  on  this  page. 


Cast  from  an  Arretine  Mould 


Sacrifice 


122  CLASSICAL  ART 


PAINTKD  VASES 

Few  objects  of  antiquity  are  more  fragile  than  vessels  of 
clay ;  none  are  harder  to  dost  roy  altogether.  Marbles  suffer 
by  weathering,  and  still  more  by  violence;  bronzes  fall  into 
dust  by  corrosion ;  but  terra-cotta  vases,  though  often 
broken  in  many  fragments,  are  not  subject  to  decay,  and 
are  of  too  common  material  to  be  appropriated  to  new  uses. 

A  collection  of  Greek  vases  not  only  illustrates  the  tradi- 
tions and  principles  of  a  minor  art,  but  reflects  the  subjects 
and  in  a  measure  the  style  of  mural  paintings  which  are 
entirely  lost.  Thev  are  probably  also  to  be  associated 
closely  with  contemporarv  work  in  other  lesser  arts,  such 
as  bronze  repousse  relief  and  the  inlaying  of  wood  with 
ivory.  Their  value  to  the  student  of  classical  literature, 
religion,  and  private  antiquities  is  apparent  to  one  who 
considers  the  endless  variety  of  mythological  and  genre 
pictures  which  ornament  the  ware  of  the  classical  age. 

Painted  pottery  was  produced  in  Greece  from  an  early 
date  in  the  prehistoric  period,  and  did  not  fall  into 
disuse  until  the  third  century  B.  C.  The  earliest  pot- 
tery was  moulded  by  hand.  Examples  in  the  case  of 
Cypriote  ware  (Case  l)  show  its  rude  shapes  and  its 
primitive  linear  decoration,  produced  by  scratching  the 
surface  with  a  pointed  tool.  The  invention  of  the  oven 
and  of  the  potter's  wheel  made  uniform  color  and  sym- 
metrical shape  possible;  the  substitution  of  painted  or- 
nament for  incised  patterns  led  to  far  greater  freedom 
and  accuracy  of  design.  The  series  of  vases  from  Crete 
(Case  2)  illustrate  the  development  of  the  art  during 
the  second  millennium  B.  C. ;  the  finely-washed  clay, 
the  graceful  shapes  and  delicate  walls,  and  the  spirited 
designs  of  the  better  specimens  indicate  the  high  stan- 
dard that  was  attained.  The  finest  vases  of  the  later 
part  of  this  period  were  decorated  with  designs  more  or 


VASI.    ROOMS   (GROUND   FLOOR)  123 

less  freely  adapted  from  plant  and  animal  life,  particu- 
larly the  life  of  the  sea;  lilies,  sea  plants,  and  shellfish 
are  common  subjects.  The  Museum  possesses  a  few 
late  Mycenaean  vases  on  which  such  ornaments  are 
painted  in  dark,  lustrous  colors. 

A  fairly  sharp  line  separates  the  ware  just  described 
from  the  earliest  pottery  of  the  classical  period.  Hea\  icr 
shapes  prevail ;  the  ornament  is  mainly  geometrical,  not 
derived  directly  from  nature,  though  crudely-drawn  an- 
imals and  men  are  not  unusual ;  many  of  the  vases  were 
made  to  serve  as  tomb  monuments.  Of  this  geometrical 
ware  one  case  is  shown  (Case  3). 

In  the  eighth  and  seventh  centuries  both  the  shapes 
and  the  ornamentation  of  pottery  are  based  on  Oriental 
models.  On  the  ware  of  Naukratis,  Rhodes,  and 
Corinth  (Cases  4-5),  the  lotus  bud,  the  rosette,  and 
spiral  designs  are  seen,  together  with  rows  of  animals 
both  real  and  fantastic.  The  technical  skill  of  the  potter 
again  rises  nearly  to  the  level  of  the  best  Cretan  ware, 
ami  a  lustrous  black  glaxe  is  occasionally  secured. 

In  the  sixth  century  Athens  became  the  centre  of  the 
potter's  art.  The  pure  black  glaxe  was  combined  with 
the  rich  red  of  the  pottery  to  produce  splendid  results ; 
the  shapes  were  refined,  the  conventional  decorative 
ornament  was  confined  to  definite  limits,  and  the  inter- 
est of  the  vases  was  much  increased  by  the  use  of  scenes 
of  human  interest,  mainly  mythological  in  character. 
In  these  scenes,  some  of  which  \\ere  signed  by  the 
painters,  the  figures  were  drawn  in  black  glaze:  purple 
and  white  were  often  added  to  bring  out  parts  of  the 
figure,  and  details  were  incised  with  a  sharp  instrument. 
Of  these  black -figured  vases  a  few  fine  specimens  are 
placed  upstairs,  but  the  main  series  is  in  Cases  6-7, 
13-15. 

About  500  B.  C.  the  reversal  of  the  colors  —  that  is, 
the  use  of  black  glaze  for  the  background  and  the  red 
of  the  clay  for  the  figures  —  permitted  the  use  of  fine 


124  CLASSICAL  ART 

black  lines  instead  of  incised  lines  for  the  details  of  the 
figures.  In  the  first  half  of  the  fifth  century  skillful 
painters  devoted  their  attention  to  work  on  vases,  par- 
ticularly on  kylikes,  many  of  which  were  signed  by 
the  artists.  The  four  most  famous  of  these  —  Euphro- 
nios,  Douris,  Hieroii,  Brygos —  as  well  as  many  others 
are  represented  by  characteristic  examples  of  their  work 
(Cases  16-24,  and  Fifth  Century  Room,  Cases  2,  3,  5). 

In  Cases  11~12  the  black  vases  with  moulded  orna- 
ment (bucchero  ware)  were  pottery  imitations  of  metal 
ware  ornamented  in  relief.  Most  of  these  vases  were 
made  in  Etruria,  but  a  few  small  pieces  from  Greece 
are  exhibited. 

The  white  vases  with  designs  drawn  in  outline  in  Cases 
li»  and  ijti  (lekythoi)  were  perfume  vases,  used  for  the 
most  part  in  connection  with  the  burial  of  the  dead. 
The  freedom  of  the  drawing  and  the  occasional  use  of 
color  lend  them  a  special  interest. 

The  later  development  of  vase  painting  in  Southern 
Italy  is  illustrated  in  Cases  2(3 -28.  Here  the  effort 
was  for  picturesque  results,  and  the  drawing  was  care- 
less and  sometimes  crude.  Occasionally  the  scenes 
represented  and  the  rich  effects  are  attractive  in  spite 
of  the  poor  workmanship. 


COINS  125 

COINS 

The  highest  achievements  ever  produced  in  die  engraving 
were  the  coins  made  by  the  Greeks  in  the  sixth,  fifth,  and 
fourth  centuries  B.  C.  The  types  on  these  coins  were  the 
badges  of  the  towns  or  authorities  which  issued  them,  attest- 
ing the  weight  and  purity  of  the  metal  as  a  personal  seal 
certifies  the  authenticity  of  a  document.  Their  artistic 
value  is  that  they  reflect  the  incessant  activity  of  the  Greek 
imagination,  which  controlled  even  the  design  of  an  instru- 
ment of  commerce.  The  point  of  view  was  detached  and 
objective ;  symbolism  and  allegory  of  deep  import  were  ex- 
cluded. The  range  of  subjects  was  narrow,  partly  because 
of  the  nature  of  coins,  but  also  because  Greek  public  art  of 
this  period  limited  itself  to  simple  themes  related  to  worship 
or  heroic  myth  and  athletic  contests,  repeating  old  subjects 
rather  than  inventing  new.  It  may  be  remarked  that  even 
in  the  decoration  of  these  small  objects,  which  would  have 
been  well  adapted  to  pure  design  in  low  relief,  the  Greek 
did  not  escape  from  his  dominant  interest  in  the  representa- 
tion of  life.  He  preferred  still  to  engrave  forms  of  men  and 
gods  and  beasts  on  his  coins,  though  they  had  to  be  exe- 
cuted in  high  relief,  which  to  modern  eyes  appears  unprac- 
tical and  undesirable  in  coins. 

Granted  this  limitation  in  choice  of  motives,  the  decora- 
tive skill  of  the  engraver  is  abundantly  illustrated  —  pre- 
eminently, perhaps,  on  such  a  coin  as  that  of  Naxos  (24), 
where  the  artist  represented  a  satyr  with  his  wine-cup, 
seated  on  the  ground,  and  ingeniously  composed  within  a 
circle  which  is  completed  by  means  of  the  inscription.  There 
is  no  loss  of  spontaneity  in  these  difficult  adaptions  of  sub- 


1,  2,  3,  Athens. 

4,  Ichnae,  Macedonia;  5,  Uncertain,  Asia  Minor;  6,  Caulonia, 
Italy. 

7,  Thurium,  Italy;  8,  Himera,  Sicily;  9,  Terina,  Italy. 
10.  11,  Agrigentum,  Sicily. 


126 


CLASSICAL    ART 


COINS  127 

ject  to  space ;  only  in  later  designs,  possibly  in  the  delicate 
head  of  Demeter  (14),  made  in  346  B.  C.,  is  there  conscious 
effort  in  the  modelling.  The  coins  exhibit  an  unsurpassed 
skill  in  draughtsmanship  and  representation  in  relief.  The 
creations  of  the  earliest  art  are  readily  distinguished  by 
their  linear  quality  from  those  of  later  date,  where  the  artist 
is  more  occupied  with  surfaces  than  with  sharp  edges.  A 
comparison  of  the  head  of  Athena  of  the  sixth  century  (1) 
with  the  same  subject  issued  fifty  years  later  (3),  or  the 
cattle  of  Ichnae  (4)  with  the  bull  of  Thurium  (7),  or  of  the 
Heracles  of  Thebes  (13)  with  the  Hermes  of  Cyzicus  (18), 
illustrates  this  fact.  We  are  attracted  by  the  drawing  in 
the  archaic  coins;  by  the  modelling  in  those  of  developed 
style. 

In  a  long  series  of  objects  of  restricted  size  the  observer 
becomes  conscious  of  the  limitations  imposed  by  their 
minuteness,  but  the  Greek  breadth  of  conception  and 
power  to  suggest  the  great  by  the  little  bursts  through  these 
bounds.  The  happy  strength  of  the  Greek  artist  to  omit 
the  accidental  without  becoming  tedious,  and  record  the 
essential  while  preserving  the  human  and  vital,  finds  lumi- 
nous illustration  in  this  field.  The  sense  of  scale  does  not 
forbid  us  to  see  a  statue  in  the  archaic  Apollo(  ?)  of  Cau- 
lonia  (6),  or  in  the  Nymph  at  Himera  (8),  or  the  seated 
Victor^'  of  Te.-ina  (9).  The  Heracles  of  Croton  (-24)  might 
adorn  a  pediment  of  the  Parthenon,  and  the  Hermes  of 
Pheneus  (20)  be  influenced  by  a  work  of  Praxiteles.  The 
unrivalled  head  of  Hera  on  the  coin  of  Pandosia  (28)  re- 
produces, probably,  the  head  of  a  statue. 

Treatment  of  the  same  subject  varies  to  a  considerable 
extent.  The  Apollo  at  Chalcidice  (21)  resembles  that  at 
Rhegium  (29) ;  but  these  differ  from  his  feminine  appear- 


1-2,  Archelaus  I.;  13,  Thebes,  Greece;  14,  Delphi,  Greece. 
15,  Alexander  the  Great;  16,  King  Lysimachus. 
17,  Amphipolis,  Greece;  18,  Cyzicus,  Asia  Minor;  19,  Rhodes. 
20,  Pheneus,  Greece;  21,  Chalcidice,  Greece. 


128 


CLASSICAL  ART 


19 


COINS  129 

ance  at  Amphipolis  (17)  and  the  virile  sentiment  in  his  head 
as  sun  god  at  Uhodes  (19).  Again,  the  literal  representa- 
tion of  the  eagle  (o)  is  a  conception  distinct  in  aim  from  the 
picturesque  rendering  at  Agrigentum  (10,  11),  and  from  the 
more  plastic  presentation  of  the  bi.xi  in  its  struggle  with  a 
serpent  (31).  Another  instance  of  variation  of  subject  is 
afforded  in  the  Theban  and  Cvzicene  kneeling  figures 
(13  and  18),  where  the  slight  difference  of  treatment  of  a 
pose  already  familiar  to  us  in  the  Aegina  pediments,  serves 
to  distinguish  Heracles  from  Hermes. 

Direct  portraiture  comes  late  in  the  period.  Features  of 
individuals  may  appear  in  the  guise  of  a  divinity  in  the  mag- 
nificent head  on  the  coin  of  Archelaus  (12),  at  the  end  of 
the  fifth  century,  or  in  the  somewhat  earlier  representation 
of  Heracles  at  Camarina  (30);  the  features  of  Alexander 
the  Great  may  be  suggested  on  his  coins  (15),  but  they  are 
not  certainly  shown  until  his  successor,  Lysimachus 
(323  B.  C.),  placed  them  on  his  issues  (16),  though  still 
with  the  attributes  of  a  god.  This  is  one  of  the  earliest 
certain  instances  of  the  portrait  of  an  individual  head. 

Ancient  coins  were  not  chased  or  cast,  but  struck  by 
hand.  The  difficulty  of  the  process,  when  modern  mechan- 
ical appliances  were  unknown,  accounts  in  part  for  the 
irregularity  of  their  shape:  but  it  may  be  also  supposed 
that  this  irregularity  was  long  perpetuated  in  reminiscence 
of  the  rough  forms  of  ingots  which  passed  as  currency  be- 
fore coins  were  stamped.  Such  a  conjecture  is  made  plausi- 
ble by  the  conspicuous  lack  of  symmetry  in  the  electrum 
coins  of  Asia  Minor,  which  were  made  nearest  to  the  place 
of  the  invention  of  coinage. 

It  must  be  remembered  that  coins  were  produced,  not 
primarily  as  objects  of  art,  but  by  the  thousand  as  instru- 


2"2,  Croton,  Italy :  23,  Syracuse,  Sicily ;  24,  Naxos,  Sicily. 
25,  26,  Syracuse,  Sicily. 

27,  Syracuse,  Sicily;  28,  Pandosia,  Italy;  29,  Rhegium,  Italy. 
30,  Camarina,  Sicily;  31,  Elis,  Greece. 


130 


CLASSICAL   ART 


COINS  1 3 1 

ments  of  trade;  we  may  readily  forgive,  therefore,  super- 
ficial imperfections.  No  objects  of  Greek  art  better  illus- 
trate the  diffusion  of  Greek  genius  than  the  coins,  which 
were  issued  not  only  by  the  great  cities,  but  by  many  small 
towns  throughout  the  Greek  world,  from  the  coasts  of  Asia 
and  Thrace  to  Italy.  We  cannot  judge  of  the  motives  which 
inspired  their  makers  at  a  time  when  imagination  was  far 
more  free  than  to-day,  and  the  power  of  expression  readier ; 
but  it  is  hard  to  consider  the  stream  of  superb  coins  which 
poured  from  the  mints  of  Sicily  and  Italy  during  the  second 
half  of  the  fifth  century  (for  instance",  7-11  and  22-30) 
without  the  conviction  that  civic  pride  induced  general 
rivalry  and  stimulated  artists  to  supreme  effort.  The 
climax  was  reached  in  the  work  of  the  artists  Cimon  and 
Evaenetus.  Cimon's  facing  head  of  the  goddess  Arethusa, 
with  dolphin;  gambolling  among  her  streaming  tresses 
(23),  and  the  barley-crowned  head  of  Persephone  by 
Evaenetus  (25)  were  accepted  as  standards  in  antiquity, 
and  the  Persephone  has  influenced  many  modern  coins. 

NOTE.  A  guide  to  the  Catharine  Page  Perkins  Collection 
of  Greek  and  Roman  Coins  has  been  published  by  the  Museum 
and  may  be  consulted  in  the  Library.  A  Catalogue  of  the 
Greenwell- Warren  Collection,  purchased  from  the  Pierce  Fund 
in  1904,  has  also  been  published:  Regling,  2>ie  griechischen 
Miinzen  der  Sammlung  Warm,  Berlin,  1906. 


PICTURES 


ROBKRT   DAWSOX   EVANS 
GALLERIES   FOR  PAIXTINGS 


4 


•^IWP] 

L*w^  A 

llW^rtl 
llflrrYB 

MAIN  FLOOR 


PICTU1RE       I     •-       •  •  • 

•"'"DUE  D     RES"R«     I     COLORS   " 


GROUND  FLOOR 
Pa  indicate*  the  office  of  the  Department 


WESTERN  ART  TO  THE   END   OF  THE 
RENAISSANCE,    1600 

BY  the  second  century  A.  D.  there  were  Christians  in 
nearly  all  parts  of  the  Roman  Empire.  As  far  as  the 
new  religion  found  expression  in  art,  it  made  use  of 
simple  symbols  and  symbolic  pictures  executed  in  the 
Roman  manner.  This  use  of  symbols  was  in  accord 
with  the  intellectual  tendency  of  the  time. 

The  first  monumental  Christian  art  was  produced  after 
the  recognition  of  Christianity  by  the  state  in  327,  under 
the  Emperor  Constantine.  The  old  basilicas  of  St.  Peter 
and  St.  Paul  and  others  were  then  built  outside  the  walls 
of  Rome  over  the  burial  places  of  the  early  saints  and  mar- 
tyrs. The  materials  were  often  taken  from  Roman  temples, 
but  new  works  of  Christian  art,  glass  mosaics  in  glowing 
color,  decorated  the  interior  walls.  On  these  mosaics  and 
on  the  contemporary  sarcophagi  and  miniatures  appeared 
direct  representation  of  Old  and  New  Testament  scenes 
in  addition  to  the  symbols  of  the  early  Christians.  The 
literary  imagery  of  the  Jewish  writers  was  translated  into 
pictorial  and  plastic  forms  by  a  people  who  had  long  been 
familiar  with  such  expression. 

Christian  churches  rose  in  many  parts  of  the  Empire ;  in 
Rome,  in  Syria,  and  in  Constantinople,  the  new  capital 
founded  by  Constantine  in  330  on  the  site  of  the  Greek 
colony  of  Byzantium.  At  Constantinople  the  later  art  of 
Rome  was  again  brought  into  contact  with  Greek  tradition, 
and,  influenced  by  Syria  and  Persia,  it  culminated  in  the 
magnificently  decorated  church  of  Hagia  Sophia  built  in 
the  sixth  century.  This  church  is  now  a  Turkish  mosque. 


I36  TiCTUKES 

During  the  centuries  that  followed,  while  the  nations  of 
\\Vstern  Europe  were  still  in  the  making,  there  existed 
brilliant  civili/ations  in  the  Ixnant  and  at  Constantinople. 
The  most  important  period  of  Byzantine  art  extends  from 
the  middle  of  the  ninth  century  to  the  middle  of  the  eleventh. 
Many  ivorv  carvings,  objects  in  gold  and  silver,  bronzes  and 
textiles,  in  the  beautiful  workmanship  of  this  time,  reached 
Western  Europe  through  Southern  Italy  and  Venice.  The 
Byzantine  influence  in  the  art  of  the  Russian  people  dates 
from  their  conversion  to  Christianity,  about  the  year  1000. 

Under  the  inspiration  of  the  new  religion  of  Islam,  the 
Arabs,  in  the  seventh  century,  conquered  Syria  and  Egypt 
and  Northern  Africa  and  Southern  Spain.  The  cities  of 
Bagdad,  Damascus,  and  Cairo  became  centres  of  a  new 
civilization,  vividly  portrayed  in  the  "Arabian  Nights."  The 
religion  of  the  Arabs  forbade  them  to  represent  the  human 
form;  their  efforts  centred  in  design  and  color.  The 
achievements  of  later  Islamic  art  include  the  Alhambra  at 
Granada  (about  1300),  the  mosques  of  Constantinople 
(after  1453),  the  buildings,  ceramics  (see  pp.  241  ~24*4), 
and  textiles  (see  pp.  228~22?)of  Persia  and  Asia  Minor, 
and  some  of  the  finest  architectural  monuments  of  Central 
A-ia  and  India. 

\Yestern  Europe  in  the  early  Middle  Ages  found  artistic 
expression  in  the  churches  of  the  Romanesque  type.  Their 
somewhat  heavy  exteriors  and  round-arched  windows, 
arcades,  and  vaults  unite  Byzantine,  Roman,  and  Northern 
elements.  They  are  found  on  both  sides  of  the  Alps  with 
many  local  variations  and  often  with  a  profusion  of  sculp- 
tured ornament.  The  best  belong  to  the  eleventh  century. 

The  problem  of  the  stone  vault,  only  partially  solved 
during  the  Romanesque  period,  made  great  progress  in  the 
twelfth  century  with  the  general  application  of  the  pointed 
arch.  The  Gothic  cathedrals  which  then  arose  were,  like 
the  Romanesque,  shrines  of  the  Christian  religion  and  the 
expression  of  the  ideals  of  a  great  religious  age,  but  they 
grew  up  among  peoples  in  Northern  Europe  whose  tempera- 


INTRODUCTION  137 

ment  and  art  were  influenced  by  the  spirit  of  the  old  Norse 
mythology.  The  result  is  an  art  in  which  the  Roman  ele- 
ment for  the  time  being  is  almost  entirely  eliminated. 

The  great  height  and  slenderness  of  the  supports  of  the 
Gothic  cathedral  were  made  possible  by  outside  buttresses, 
while  the  concentration  of  the  weight  of  the  building  on 
separate  piers  and  columns  permitted  huge  open  spaces  in 
the  walls.  These  were  filled  with  glass,  jewel-like  in  its 
radiant  color,  framed  in  beautiful  stone  tracery.  Skilled 
carvers  in  wood  and  stone  decorated  pinnacles,  capitals, 
choirs,  and  doorways  with  ornament  derived  from  local 
plants  and  from  the  structural  forms  of  the  building  itself, 
and  with  little  mechanical  repetition.  Grotesque  monsters 
formed  the  gargoyles  or  waterspouts,  and  the  draped  human 
figure  carved  in  stone  served  both  for  ornament  and  for  in- 
struction. In  France  almost  the  whole  body  of  science, 
nature,  history,  and  religion,  according  to  the  mediaeval 
divisions,  was  represented  in  stone  pictures  upon  the 
cathedral. 

In  the  thirteenth  and  fourteenth  centuries  Gothic  art  was 
perfected  and  spread  over  Western  Europe.  In  the  Fran- 
ciscan and  Dominican  churches  and  the  civic  cathedrals  of 
Italy  it  often  became  an  ornamental  addition  to  the  different 
local  Romanesque  styles. 

During  the  thirteenth  century  the  cities  along  the  Euro- 
pean routes  of  trade  rapidly  increased  in  importance,  espe- 
cially the  fortunately  located  cities  of  Italy.  In  Tuscany, 
Pisa  developed  earliest.  Already  in  the  eleventh  and 
twelfth  centuries  its  white  marble  cathedral  had  become  a 
model  for  its  neighbors.  In  1260  Niccolo  Pisano  carved 
his  pulpit  reliefs,  drawing  some  of  his  motives  from  antique 
remains.  The  works  of  his  successors  show  strong  Gothic 
influence  (see  p.  255).  The  city  of  Siena  next  rose  to  im- 
portance. Its  school  of  painting,  although  founded  on 
Byzantine  works,  early  showed  a  growing  freedom  from 
tradition  and  it  possessed  a  decorative  charm  wholly  its 
own  (see  the  altar-piece  by  Bartolo  di  Fredi  in  the 
Picture  Galleries). 


1 38  PICTURES 

Florence,  which  gained  real  importance  for  the  first  time 
in  the  thirteenth  century,  began,  shortly  before  1300,  the 
group  of  Gothic  buildings  which  are  the  present  landmarks 
of  the  city.  Contemporary  with  Dante,  Giotto  di  Bondone, 
the  first  of  the  long  line  of  master  painters  of  Italy,  pro- 
duced his  dramatic  story-telling  cycles  of  frescoes  at  Assisi, 
Padua,  and  Florence,  including  those  portraying  the  life  of 
St.  Francis.  After  Giotto's  time  mural  fresco  painting 
occupied  a  leading  place  in  the  art  of  Italy. 

In  the  early  fifteenth  century  a  German  school  of  painting 
developed  in  Cologne  (see  p.  1.50),  and  the  first  master- 
pieces of  Flemish  painting,  the  work  of  Hubert  and  Jan 
Van  Eyck,  appeared  (after  1432).  The  Flemish  painters 
began  the  successful  use  of  oil  as  a  medium,  and  their 
influence  on  contemporary  Italian  painting,  though  not 
yet  clearly  defined,  must  have  been  important.  Besides 
this  development  of  painting  (see  p.  142),  the  fifteenth 
century  and  the  next  witnessed  beautiful  developments 
of  late  Gothic  architecture  in  Flanders.  About  the 
year  1.500  tapestry  weaving  reached  its  height  (see  pp. 
216-218). 

The  vigor  of  Italian  life  and  intellect  produced  at  this 
time  a  great  burst  of  creative  art.  The  direction  of  its  ex- 
pression was  determined  to  a  great  extent  by  the  newly 
awakened  interest  in  the  literature  of  Greece  and  Rome, 
much  of  which  had  been  unknown  to  the  Middle  Ages. 
New  ideas  from  these  sources  now  profoundly  influenced 
conduct  and  society. 

The  pioneer  of  the  classical  movement  was  Petrarch, 
(d.  1374).  His  teaching  as  to  the  mutual  relations  of  the 
patron,  the  artist,  and  the  man  of  letters,  and  his  appeal  to 
Italian  pride  in  ancient  Rome,  helped  develop  every  art. 
Florence  was  the  centre  of  the  movement.  Its  citizens 
made  collections  of  ancient  gems,  coins,  and  manuscripts, 
founded  libraries,  and  attracted  scholars.  The  first  effect 
of  the  classical  texts  was  less  scholarship  than  inspiration 
and  a  gradual  growth  of  the  humanist  point  of  view. 


INTRODUCTION  1 39 

Under  the  patronage  of  the  Medici,  in  the  early  fifteenth 
century,  there  arose  at  Florence  a  group  of  artists  who  had 
broken  with  the  traditions  of  the  followers  of  Giotto,  and 
whose  work,  free,  spontaneous,  and  human,  was  in  accord 
with  the  new  ideals.  Their  realism,  their  idealism,  their 
religious  feeling,  their  increasing  paganism,  reflected  the 
opposing  forces  of  the  times.  With  decorative  details  of 
great  delicacy  and  refinement,  not  as  yet  mere  imitation  of 
Roman  work,  their  art  possessed  the  qualities  of  sobriety 
and  restraint  and  showed  a  sympathetic  treatment  of  child- 
hood and  an  increasing  interest  in  humanity.  The  Church 
welcomed  this  art  and  made  use  of  it.  In  the  sculpture  of 
Donatello  and  his  contemporaries  (see  p.  256),  and  the 
paintings  of  Masaccio,  Fra  Angelico  (see  p.  144),  Fra 
Filippo  Lippi,  Botticelli  and  others  at  Florence,  in  the 
art  of  the  hill  towns  from  the  valley  of  the  Arno  to  the 
upper  reaches  of  the  Tiber  in  Umbria,  and  in  that  of 
the  valley  of  the  Po,  Italy  interpreted  and  visualized 
the  Christian  religion  in  a  manner  never  to  be  forgotten. 
At  Venice  the  earlier  painters  were  followed  by  Giovanni 
Bellini,  who  painted  many  Madonnas  grave  and  serene,  still 
showing  traces  of  the  old  hieratic  Byzantine  art,  but  ren- 
dered in  the  superb  color  which  was  the  distinctive  beauty 
of  the  Venetian  school.  (See  the  altar-piece  of  Bartolom- 
meo  Vivarini;  the  Pieta  of  Crivelli,  p.  143;  and  the  en- 
gravings of  Mantegna  in  the  print  collection.)  In  the  mak- 
ing of  beautifully  printed  books  Venice  led  the  rest  of  Italy. 
Sincerity  of  purpose  characterized  the  art  of  the  fifteenth 
century.  Its  expression  was  far  more  genuine  than  much 
of  the  technically  perfected  art  of  the  next  generation. 

With  Leonardo  da  Vinci's  Last  Supper,  completed  at 
Milan  in  1498,  the  golden  age  of  painting  began  in  Italy. 
The  Popes  became  the  most  magnificent  of  patron?. 
Among  the  artists  at  Rome,  Raphael  best  embodied  the 
Renaissance  spirit.  In  the  Stanza  della  Segnatura  in  the 
Vatican  he  painted,  in  the  humanist  manner,  frescoes  repre- 
senting religion,  poetry,  philosophy,  and  the  cardinal  vir- 


140  PICTURES 

tues  (standing  for  character),  a  synthesis  which  the  mind 
of  the  Renaissance  continually  struggled  to  grasp.  (See 
the  engravings  of  Marcantonio  Raimondi  after  Raphael  in 
the  print  collection.)  The  splendid  frescoes  of  Old  Testa- 
ment subjects  by  Michelangelo  in  the  Sistine  Chapel  belong 
to  this  period.  At  Venice  Giorgione  and  Titian,  with  many 
others  little  inferior  to  themselves,  reached  a  higher  techni- 
cal stage  in  painting,  and  interpreted  their  subjects  in  a 
manner  more  secular  and  magnificent  than  religious. 

After  1500  direct  imitation  of  Roman  and  late  Greek 
art  became  more  pronounced.  The  new  St.  Peter's  was 
begun  in  1506.  The  Apollo  Belvedere,  discovered  in  1491, 
and  the  Laocoon,  discovered  in  1506,  became  models  for 
sculpture.  Raphael  drew  up  plans  for  the  restoration  of 
ancient  Rome.  Original  Greek  works  had  small  influence 
as  compared  with  Roman  works;  even  the  temples  at 
Paestum,  near  Naples,  were  ignored. 

Meanwhile  there  was  a  vigorous  artistic  renaissance  in  the 
German  cities  along  the  routes  of  trade.  The  Gothic 
carvers  and  metal  workers  of  the  important  commercial 
city  of  Nuremberg  were  famous.  Its  painter,  Wolgemuth 
(see  p.  1 50),  was  the  teacher  of  Albrecht  Du'rer,  who,  like 
I^eonardo  da  Vinci,  was  a  thinker  and  a  writer.  (Diirer's 
engravings  and  woodcuts  may  be  studied  in  the  print 
collection.)  Contemj>orary  with  Diirer  were  the  two  Hol- 
beins,  painters  of  Augsburg  and  Basle. 

The  first  half  of  the  sixteenth  century  was  the  most 
dramatic  period  in  Italian  history.  It  saw,  along  with  the 
culmination  of  Italian  art,  the  loss  of  Italian  liberty.  The 
mutually  jealous  small  city-states  of  Italy  failed  to  unite 
against  the  outside  enemy  (Spain,  France,  and  the  Ger- 
mans), and  the  greater  part  of  the  peninsula  passed  under 
foreign  control.  Milan  lost  its  independence  in  1499,  Rome 
was  sacked  in  1527,  the  republic  of  Florence  came  to  an 
end  in  1531.  Venice,  although  humiliated,  remained  safe 
on  her  islands,  and  in  her  territories  painting  continued  to 
flourish  all  through  the  century  (see  pp.  147  and  1*8),  as 


INTRODUCTION  141 

did  literature  for  a  shorter  period  at  the  neighboring  court 
of  Ferrara. 

During  this  century  lace-making  was  developed  in  Italy 
(see  pp.  255  to  262),  and  majolica  ware  Mas  produced 
in  many  of  the  towns  on  the  eastern  slopes  of  the 
Apennines  (see  p.  2;>o).  The  dome  of  the  new  St. 
Peter's  at  Rome  was  finished  about  1000. 

( 'onquered  Italy  became  in  matters  of  art  the  teacher  of 
Northern  Europe,  where  the  great  Gothic  movement  had 
spent  itself.  In  France  Italian  influence  early  appeared  in 
the  royal  palaces  or  chateaux  of  the  valley  of  the  Loire,  with 
their  happy  mingling  of  native  Gothic  forms  and  Renais- 
sance ornament.  The  spirit  of  the  Renaissance  was,  how- 
ever, too  often  misunderstood  in  the  North,  where  the  later 
works  were  usually  imitated  rather  than  those  of  the  earlier 
and  more  inspired  period.  G.  M.  B. 

S.  Reinach,  Apollo,  an  illustrated  Manual  of  the  History  of  Art 
throughout  the  Ages,  trans.  Simmons,  2d  edition,  N.  Y.,  1907; 
A.  Michel  (ed.),  Histoire  de  Fart,  Paris,  1905-06,  4  vols.  have  ap- 
peared; the  historical  background  may  be  obtained  in  J.  H.  Rob- 
inson, An  Introduction  to  the  History  of  Western  Europe,  Boston, 
1902;  convenient  introductory  books  are  O.  M.  Dalton,  A  Guide 
of  the  Early  Christian  and  Byzantine  Antiquities  in  the  British 
Museum,  London,  1903,  and  W.  R.  Lethaby,  Mediaeval  Art, 
312-1350,  N.  Y.,  1904.  For  the  Renaissance  see  E.  Miintz, 
Histoire  de  Part  pendant  la  renaissance,  3  vols.,  Paris,  1889-95. 

For  painting  consult :  Crowe  and  Cavalcaselle,  History  of  Paint- 
ing in  Italy,  London,  1903,  ed.  Douglas,  2  vols.  have  appeared ; 
Blashfield  and  Hopkins  edition  of  Vasari,  4  vols.,  N.  Y.,  1897 ;  Wolt- 
man  and  Woerman,  History  of  Painting,  2  vols.,  N.  Y.,  1880-85; 
Bryan,  Dictionary  of  Painters  and  Engravers,  edited  by  G.  C. 
Williamson,  5  vols.,  N.  Y.,  1903-05;  R.  Muther,  History  of 
Modern  Painting,  3  vols.,  London,  1895-96.  The  study  of  painting 
can  be  supplemented  to  advantage  by  the  use  of  the  print  collection. 

Single  painters  and  special  subjects  are  treated  in  such  series  of 
monographs  as  the  Great  Masters,  the  Duckuvrth  series,  the  Knack- 
hiss  series,  and  many  others  contained  in  the  Museum  Library. 
Use  should  also  be  made  of  the  thousands  of  photographs  in  the 
Museum  Collection,  and  The  Manual  of  Italian  Renaissance 
Sculpture  as  illustrated  in  the  Collection  of  Casts,  published  by  the 
Museum,  1904. 


142 


PICTURES 


Marriage  of  Saint  Cat  her!  it  P.     Sienene  School,  Fourteenth  Century 

Allied  to  the  work  of  Lippo  Memmi,  though  not  in 
technique  strictly  typical  of  him.  The  central  small 
group  shows  two  young  knights  throwing  down  their 
arms  to  embrace.  Above,  the  inscription,  '  AricodiNeri 
Arighettihad  this  panel  made"  (fece  fare  questa  tavola), 
suggests  a  votive  picture  grown  out  of  fear  and  hatred 
likea  flower  from  the  mire.  The  Arighetti  are  mentioned 
in  Sienese  fourteenth  and  fifteenth  century  records. 


ITALIAN* 


Madonna  and  Child  with  Angels,  Saints  ami  a  Donor 
Fr<i  <ri(/ranni  da  Fiesole,  called  Beato  Angelica,  1387-1455 

This  little  panel,  in  tempera,  which  measures  in 
height  and  width  only  eleven  and  a  half  inches,  is  a 
typical  example  of  Fra  Angelico,  suggesting  both  his 
ecstatic  devotion  to  the  mysteries  of  religion  and  also 
his  interest  in  the  contemporary  movement  toward 
scientific  investigation.  The  Virgin  and  Child  and  the 
adoring  angels  are  painted  with  that  mystic  sweetness 
and  holy  joy  which  have  produced  the  sentimental 
affection  so  generally  felt  for  Fra  Angelico,  and  the 
human  figures  with  a  marked  interest  in  reality. 

Gift  of  Mrs.  W.  Scott  Fitz. 


144  PICTURES 

Carlo  Crjvelli,  after  having  learned  his  art  in  Venice,  left 
that  city  never  to  return,  and  his  pictures  were  painted  in  a 
group  of  small  towns,  east  of  the  Apennines,  near  the  Adri- 
atic coast,  between  Ancona  on  the  north  and  Ascoli  on  the 
south,  a  disputed  town  on  the  border  of  the  Papal  states  and 
the  kingdom  of  Naples.  This  was  a  region  little  affected 
by  the  Renaissance,  and  here  he  was  able  to  work  undis- 
turbed by  outside  influences  and  without  serious  rivals. 
Hence  his  art  retains  many  characteristics  of  the  early 
Venetians  before  Bellini,  although  enriched  by  his  own 
development. 

The  painting  on  the  opposite  page  is  probably  a 
detached  panel  from  a  large  altar-piece ;  it  is  in 
tempera  on  wood  and  is  inscribed  Opus  Caroli  Crirplli 
1485. l  The  strongly  individualized  heads,  almost  harsh  in 
appearance,  occurring  side  by  side  with  a  beautiful  face, 
and  the  angular  hands  are  characteristic,  but  the  quiet 
seriousness  of  expression  usual  with  Crivelli,  is  here  and  in 
other  representations  of  the  Pieta  replaced  by  an  attempt 
at  violent  emotion  not  wholly  successful. 

The  architectural  details  and  the  festoons  of  fruit  show 
the  influence  of  the  school  of  Padua.  Crivelli,  unlike  Squar- 
cione  and  Mantegna,  has  not  copied  literally  the  marble 
festoons  from  Roman  sarcophagi  and  altars  (first  popu- 
larized by  Donatello),  but  has  rendered  the  fruit  in  a  most 
natural  manner,  in  striking  contrast  to  the  archaic  figures. 

The  decorative  features  of  the  painting,  the  elaborate 
textile  patterns,  the  wide  spaces  of  enamel-like  color,  the 
us«  of  gold,  and  the  absence  of  strong  contrasts  of  light  and 
shade,  recall  the  best  features  of  the  old  Venetian  school 
and  illustrate  one  of  the  most  attractive  sides  of  Crivelli's 
art. 

1  Rushforth,  Carlo  CriveUi,  pp.  66,  67  and  103,  London,  19001 


ITALIAN 


Pietd,  painted  1485         Carlo  Crivelii,  Fifteenth  Century 


PICTURES 


Portrait  calhd  Oinrannl  Rantirnglio. 

Aiulrua  da  Solarlo,  J.',~,S-1530 

Solario  was  the  most  able  as  well  as  the  most  inde- 
pendent of  the  Milanese  painters  who  were  influenced 
by  Leonardo  da  Vinci.  His  method  was  considerably 
affected  by  the  painters  of  Venice,  where  he  lived  for  a 
few  years.  In  this  portrait,  which  is  so  carefully  painted 
that  it  has  an  enamel-like  quality,  he  has  represented  a 
resolute,  aggressive  personality,  a  man  of  physical  as 
well  as  mental  vigor. 


ITALIAN 


147 


Mailonmi  fitid  Child 

Attributed  to  ]>nrl»l<>mtnn>  SnnnU.  called  Rranumtino 
About  1460  to  about  1536 

Brainantino,  whose  appellation  is  due  to  his  intimacy 
with  Bramante,  belonged  to  the  group  of  artists  who 
founded  the  Milanese  School;  his  works  are  very  rare, 
but  he  exercised  no  little  influence  on  his  contemporaries. 
The  balance  of  the  composition  and  the  harmony  and 
delicacy  of  the  color  contribute  to  the  charm  of  the 
picture.  The  tree  partly  cut  down  symbolizes,  perhaps, 
the  Old  Dispensation,  the  young  branch  symbolizing 
the  New. 


148 


PICTURES 


Count  dlborgheiti  of  fiergamn  and  His  Son 
Giovanni  Battlsta,  Moroni,  1520(?)-157S 

Many  painters,  influenced  by  Venice  but  retaining 
their  own  local  characteristics,  flourished  in  Venetian 
territories.  Moroni's  truthful  portraits  were  painted 
at  Bergamo.  In  that  above,  the  father  has  just  finisued 
a  letter  and  handed  it  to  his  son  to  deliver. 


ITALIAN' 


1 49 


riniffxi-d  (!i«ir<U,  171  -'.'-I?!*. 


This  picture  represents  part  of  the  famous  festival  of 
the  marriage  of  Venice  and  the  Adriatic.  Gilded  barges 
bear  the  dignitaries  of  Venice  and  are  followed  by  a 
flotilla  of  gondolas.  A  similar  canvas,  now  in  New 
York,  forms  a  pendant  to  this  work  and  represents  the 
Bucentaur  bearing  the  Doge.  Francesco  Guardi  was 
the  most  intelligent  and  skilful  of  the  painters  through 
whom  the  elegant  splendors  of  Venice  in  the  eighteenth 
century  live  again ;  and  this  picture  deserves  to  rank 
among  his  chief  works. 


150 


PICTURES 


GERMAN' 


Portrait  of  a  Lady 
Lucas  Craiidch  tht-  l-'.liler.  I.'f7 -1-1553 

This  thoughtful  portrait,  representing  Cranach  in  his 
graver  mood,  is  dated  1549,  the  year  before  his  mag- 
nifu-ent  portrait  of  himself  which  is  now  in  the  Uffizi, 
and  four  years  before  his  death,  at  the  age  of  eighty- 
one.  In  his  later  style  the  coloring  is  sober,  but  the 
forms  are  more  graceful  and  his  drawing  is  marvellously 
sure.  Though  he  has  not  the  insight  of  Durer  or 
Holbein  the  younger,  his  portraits  are  sincere  and 
individual,  and  achieved  the  greatest  popularity. 


i$2  PICTURES 

The  Death  of  the  Virgin,  by  Michael  Wolgemuth,  is  an 
exceptional  example  of  a  master  little  known,  especially  in 
America,  though  he  is  worthy  of  honor,  both  for  his  own 
vigorous  and  individual,  if  somewhat  provincial  style,  and 
for  the  influence  he  exerted  upon  his  more  celebrated  pupil, 
Albrecht  Diirer. 

The  legend  of  the  Death  of  the  Virgin  relates  that  the 
Apostles  were  witnesses  of  the  event,  having  been  miracu- 
lously gathered  from  all  parts  of  the  world.  They  are  rep- 
resented in  the  eleven  figures  with  halos,  the  twelfth  being 
perhaps  Matthias,  the  successor  of  Judas,  shown  without  a 
halo  because  the  choice  of  the  Apostles  themselves  and  not 
of  their  Leader.  St.  John  holds  a  palm  leaf  before  the 
\  iryin,  another  lifts  his  hand  in  benediction,  a  third 
carries  the  aspergillum  with  holy  water,  a  fourth  bears 
the  cross,  and  a  fifth  blows  to  rekindle  his  censer. 
Strong  coloring  undimmed  by  age,  careful  and  elab- 
orate representation  of  stuffs  and  drapery,  emphatically 
modelled  faces  —  portrait-like  and  individual — all  are 
united  in  this  picture. 

The  inscription  in  the  panel  at  the  base  reads:  "In  the 
year  of  our  Lord  1479,  on  the  Friday  before  St.  Walpurga's 
Day,  departed  this  life  the  honorable  Mistress  Hedwig 
Volkamer,  to  whom  may  God  be  gracious  and  compassion- 
ate." Hedwig  Tucher  married  Hartwig  Volkamer  the 
younger,  who  died  in  1467,  she  surviving  until  1479.  The 
coat-of-arms  on  the  left  is  the  escutcheon  of  the  Volkamer, 
and  that  on  the  right  of  the  Tucher  family.  In  the  two 
kneeling  figures  of  groom  and  bride,  youthful  and  quaint  in 
dress  and  bearing,  this  memorial  altar-piece  perpetuates  the 
memory  of  the  husband  and  wife. 


GERMAN 


153 


rfitpu 


2Yk!  Iteatfi  o/  tfi«  Virgin,  painted  about  1480 
Michael  Wdqemuth, 


154 


PICTURES 


This  remarkable  portrait  of  Fray  Feliz  Palavicino  is  one 
of  the  finest  works  of  El  Greco.  In  the  ruffled  hair,  the 
ashen  cheeks,  the  brilliant  eyes  and  refined  hands  of  Fray 
Feliz,  who  is  dressed  in  the  robes  of  the  Trinitarian  order, 
the  painter  has  here  most  forcibly  presented  the  personality 
of  the  acute,  nervous,  fiery  ecclesiastic.  What  Fray  Feliz 
himself  thought  of  the  portrait  he  expressed  in  a  sonnet 
addressed  to  the  artist,1  a  translation  of  which  follows: 

O  Greek  divine !     We  wonder  not  that  in  thy  works 

The  imagery  surpasses  actual  being, 

But  rather  that,  while  thou  art  spared,  the  life  that's  due 

Unto  thy  brush  should  e'er  withdraw  to  heaven. 

The  sun  does  not  reflect  his  rays  in  his  own  sphere 

As  brightly  as  thy  canvases.     Thou  dust 

Essay,  and  like  a  god  succeed.     Let  nature  try: 

Behold  her  vanquished  and  outdone  by  thee ! 

Thou  rival  of  Prometheus  in  thy  portraiture, 

May'st  thou  escape  his  pain,  yet  seize  his  fire: 

This  does  my  soul  for  thee  most  ardently  desire; 

And  after  nine  and  twenty  years  of  life, 

Betwixt  thy  hand  and  that  of  God  she  stands  perplexed, 

And  doubts  which  is  her  body,  where  to  dwell. 

Domenico  Theotocopuli,  called  El  Greco,  El  Griego,  or 
Dominico  Greco,  was  born  in  the  island  of  ( 'rcte  and  trained 
in  Venice.  He  went  to  Toledo  in  1575,  where  he  died  in 
1614.  His  original  but  somewhat  eccentric  genius  did  not 
find  favor  with  King  Philip  II,  who  was  then  carrying  for- 
ward the  decoration  of  the  Escorial  palace.  Many  of  El 
Greco's  portraits  are  admirable,  and  it  is  possible  that 
Velazquez  was  influenced  by  them.  El  Greco  was  also  a 
sculptor  and  an  architect. 


1  Palomino,  El  Museo  Pidorico,  Madrid,  1797:  t.  II,  p.  428. 


SPANISH 


155 


Portrait  of  Fray  Feliz  Hortensio  Palavicino,   painted  1609 
El  Greco  (Domenico  Tfteotocopidi),  1545(?)-1614 


56 


PICTURES 


Velazquez  has 
here  painted  a 
more  youthful  face 
than  appears  in 
any  of  the  other 
portraits  of  the 
royal  family.  It 
is  that  of  a  boy, 
not  wholly  at  ease 
in  his  position,  and 
rather  resentful  of 
his  self-conscious- 
ness. The  figure 
is  standing  beside 
a  table  covered 
with  dull  crimson 
velvet,  upon  which 
rests  his  hat.  His 
dress  is  black,  re- 
lieved only  by  a 
golden  chain  and 
the  Order  of  the 
Golden  Fleece  and  the  linen  at  his  wrists  and  neck.  His 
left  hand  rests  on  the  hilt  of  his  sword;  in  his  right  he 
holds  a  paper.  The  absence  of  self-display  in  the  dress  and 
the  sobriety  of  the  surroundings  accord  with  the  fashion  of 
the  Spanish  Court  at  the  moment. 

This  picture  probably  dates  from  1623,  in  which  year 
Velazquez  became  court  painter.  In  it  are  seen  all  the  qual- 
ities of  his  earlier  work :  the  outlines  of  the  figure  are 
sharply  drawn,  the  modelling  is  hard  and  lacks  atmosphere, 
the  painter  works  very  near  his  subject  with  sharp  per- 
spective, the  light  is  from  the  left,  the  background  almost 
empty,  the  hands  well  shaped  and  conspicuous,  and  a 
closely-woven  canvas  is  used  with  reddish  brown  under- 
painting.  In  a  full  strong  light  one  sees  the  beautiful  draw- 
ing of  this  figure,  the  determinate  lines  of  the  body,  and  the 
details  of  the  dark  clothes. 


Head  from  Portrait  by  Velazquez 


SPANISH 


Early  Portrait  of  Philip  IV 
Diego  Velazquez,  1599-1660 


IS8 


PICTL'HKS 


Don  Baliazar  Carlos 


The  picture  on  the 
opposite  page  represents 
the  son  of  Philip  IV, 
with  the  dwarf,  the 
attendant  provided  for 
royalties  according  to  the 
taste  of  the  time.  The 
pair  are  at  play.  The 
prince  is  clad  in  a  quaint 
mixture  of  infant  dress 
and  toy  armor.  He  wears 
a  steel  gorget  and  has  one 
hand  placed  on  his  min- 
iature sword ;  a  sash 
crosses  his  chest :  a  baton 
in  his  disengaged  hand  is 
used  as  a  support;  his 
dark  green  frock  is  em- 
broidered with  gold,  with  lace  at  the  neck  and  wrists.  A 
plumed  hat  lies  on  a  cushion  opposite  him.  The  dwarf 
stands  on  a  lower  step  of  the  dais  holding  a  silver  mace-like 
bauble  and  an  apple.  The  prince's  face  is  very  beautiful 
and  winsome  with  his  blue  eyes,  bright,  clear  complexion 
and  scant  flaxen  hair.  The  picture  has  a  golden  red  under- 
tone which  shows  through  everywhere. 

Don  Baltazar  Carlos,  eldest  son  of  Philip  IV,  was  born 
in  1629.  This  portrait,  in  which  he  is  only  about  two  years 
old,  is  the  earliest  of  a  most  interesting  series  painted  at 
different  times  during  his  boyhood,  showing  him  in  hunting 
dress,  on  horseback,  and  in  ordinary  dress.  The  prince  died 
in  1646,  when  only  seventeen  years  old.  The  Infanta  Mar- 
garita, born  1651,  daughter  of  Philip  IV  and  his  second 
wife,  appears  in  another  charming  series  of  portraits  by 
Velazquez,  including  the  famous  Las  Meniiias  (the  Maids 
of  Honor),  painted  when  she  was  between  three  and  seven 
years  old.  In  1659,  the  year  before  his  death,  Velazquez 
painted  the  little  prince,  Philip  Prosper,  then  only  two  years 
old,  who  died  two  years  later. 


SPANISH 


159 


Don  Baltazar  Carlos  and  his  Dwarf,  painted  1631 
Diego  Velazquez,  1599-16&1 


i6o 


PICTURES 


Coronation  of  the  rtfytH 
Spanish  School,  end  of  the  Fifteenth  Century 

An  effort  after  richness  in  the  decoration  of  fabrics, 
accessories,  and  the  use  of  gold  is  characteristic  of 
Spanish  painting  up  to  the  end  of  the  sixteenth  cen- 
tury. Flemish  and  Italian  influences  frequently  mingle 
in  it.  Often  a  number  of  figures  are  grouped  within  a 
narrow  space. 


SPANISH 


161 


Portrait  of  a  Man     Francisco  Goya  y  Lucientes,  1746-1888 

Goya,  to  whose  work  French  artists  of  the  nineteenth 
century  are  indebted,  became  painter  to  King  Charles  IV 
in  1789=  His  etchings  depict  contemporary  Spain,  in 
the  scenes  from  the  Bull  Ring,  in  the  bitterly  satirical 
Caprichos  (to  be  seen  in  the  Museum  collection  of  prints), 
in  the  Miseries  of  War,  and  in  other  series. 

This  portrait  is  an  example  of  Goya's  most  virile  and 
at  the  same  time  most  finished  work. 


PICTURES 
DUTCH  PAINTING 

The  Dutch  people,  Protestant  in  their  religion,  rich 
through  their  ocean  commerce  and  their  possessions  in  the 
East  Indies,  self-reliant,  and  independent  after  the  success- 
ful termination  of  their  eighty  years'  struggle  against  Span- 
ish control,  became  definitely  separated  in  the'  seventeenth 
century  from  the  people  of  the  Southern  Netherlands. 
Those  provinces  still  belonged  to  Spain  and  remained 
Catholic,  and  there  Rubens  continued  to  paint  Italian  tra- 
ditional subjects,  although  he  interpreted  them  in  a  thor- 
oughly Flemish  manner. 

The  great  Dutch  l  painters  took  little  interest  in  Italian 
religious  pictures,  or  in  mythological  or  historical  subjects, 
and  in  spite  of  the  activity  of  the  Dutch  printing  presses 
they  had  no  literature  of  their  own  to  put  into  painting.  In 
a  time  of  wars  abroad  and  confusion  of  struggling  parties  at 
home,  they  preferred  to  ignore  the  hero,  the  fighting  man, 
and  the  stirring  episode.  Instead  they  painted  portraits  of 
individuals,  civic  and  corporation  groups,  quiet  interiors 
and  homely  scenes,  broad  sweeps  of  sky  over  a  landscape 
with  cattle,  and  the  commonest  of  everyday  incidents. 
Many  of  their  wonderful  paintings  of  game,  fruit,  and 
flowers  were  simply  signs  for  dealers. 

These  painters  brought  an  unfettered  mind  and  eye  to 
see  their  subject,  and  their  art  clothes  it  in  color  and  in 
wonderful  light  and  shadow.  The  careful  workmanship 
and  the  soundness  of  their  technical  methods  raises  their 
pictures  above  the  unimaginative  literal  rendering  of  the 
life  of  a  provincial  people,  and  makes  of  them  works  of 
universal  interest;  a  portrait  by  Rembrandt  is  a  master's 
study  of  the  human  face  seen  in  varying  conditions  of  light 
and  shadow,  or  a  picture  by  Pieter  de  Hooch  (see  p.  ififi) 
is  above  all  else  a  marvellous  rendering  of  sunlight  coming 
into  a  darkened  interior.  Even  when  the  picture  is  a  coarse 
tavern  scene  or  a  prosaic  meat  shop,  the  true  sense  of  color 
and  the  finished  workmanship  so  delight  the  eye  that  sub- 
ject and  composition  are  forgotten. 

1  Cf.  Eugine  Fromentin,  The  Old  Masters  of  Belgium  and 
Holland,  tram.  Robbins.  Boston,  1882. 


DUTCH 


163 


Portrait  of  a  Lady 


From  Hals,  1581(f)-1666 


The  quiet,  self-reliant,  smiling  lady  whose  portrait  ap- 
pears in  this  picture,  is  seated  in  a  favorite  attitude  of  the 
artist,  a  book  in  one  hand,  the  other  grasping  the  arm 
of  her  chair.  The  picture  is  signed  1648;  in  it  the 
characteristics  of  Hals'  later  manner  may  be  studied. 
The  greater  part  of  Franz  Hals'  life  was  spent  in  Haar- 
lem, where  the  finest  series  of  his  works  is  still  to  be 
seen  in  the  Town  Hall. 


1 64 


PICTURES 


River 


Jan  Van  Goyen,  1596-1656 


Jan  Van  Goyen  was  one  of  the  few  greater  Dutch 
artists  whose  birthdate  falls  before  that  of  Rembrandt. 
Of  the  Dutch  landscape,  brought  to  its  perfection  later 
by  Ruysdael  and  Hobbema,  Van  Goyen  is  called  the 
creator.  His  life  was  passed  within  a  few  leagues  of 
The  Hague,  where  he  became  a  substantial  citizen. 
Portraits  of  Van  Goyen  exist  by  Franz  Hals,  Van  Dyck, 
and  Van  der  Heist  —  an  engraving  of  the  latter  bearing 
the  inscription  "genuinus  Pictor  Regionum  "  ("  born 
painter  of  the  region  ").  The  present  panel  is  signed 
and  dated  1655,  the  year  before  Van  Goyen's  death, 
and  the  delicate  veil  of  warm  tone  bathing  the  land- 
scape marks  his  latest  manner.  The  intimate  and  quiet 
charm  of  his  work  has  given  Van  Goyen  an  enduring 
fame.  His  pictures  are  at  once  important  historically 
and  enjoyable  for  their  own  sake. 


Portrait  of  the  Wife  of  Dr.  Nicholas  Tulp 
Rembrandt  Van  Ryn,  1607-1669 


1 66 


PICTURES 


Dutch  Interior 


I'ieter  de  Hoock,  1632(?)-1681(?) 


In  a  room,  darkened  by  a  drawn  curtain  and  lighted  by 
an  open  door,  are  two  women.  One  of  them,  stooping,  is 
lighting  the  fire;  the  flame  makes  a  bright  spot  in  the 
gloom.  The  other  woman  holds  a  basket  as  if  about  to  set 
out  for  market  with  the  dog.  Her  red  shoe  is  another  bright 
spot  of  color.  The  next  room,  where  the  lower  step  and 
rail  of  a  stairway  can  be  seen,  is  filled  with  light  from  many 
windows.  A  bright  ray  of  sunlight  comes  in  through  the 
open  door  striking  along  the  edge  of  the  casing,  in  contrast 
with  the  reflection,  on  the  partition  between  the  window 
and  the  doorway,  from  a  red  curtain  at  the  outer  window. 
Outside  is  a  canal ;  on  the  opposite  side  a  row  of  trees  with 
figures  of  passersby,  beyond  them  houses  facing  the  canal, 
with  the  full  sunlight  lighting  up  their  red-tiled  roofs. 


DUTCH 


Portrait  of  a 


N.  Maw.  16*9-1fSf>S 


A  product  of  Maes'  maturity  like  this  brilliant  picture 
is  generally  more  interesting  to  a  student  of  painting 
than  either  his  earlier  or  his  later  work.  At  first  he 
painted  with  a  simple  fidelity,  although  according  to  an 
elaborate  system,  which  later  became  a  very  florid  use 
of  thin  color  and  a  brilliant  palette.  He  has  endowed 
this  portrait  with  all  the  distinction  at  his  command, 
composing  a  rich  background  of  blacks  and  grays,  which 
both  harmonize  with  the  sedate  and  gentle  dignity  of  the 
figure  represented  and  serve  to  enhance  its  fragility  and 
pallor. 


1 68  PICTURES 

The  wealthy  commercial  and  manufacturing  cities  of 
Flanders  developed  a  brilliant  school  of  painting  in  the 
fifteenth  century.  Their  pictures  are  the  first  wholly  suc- 
cessful combination  of  color  with  oil,  and,  whether  secular 
or  religious,  they  depict  the  things  in  which  the  contem- 
porary Flemish  burgher  took  an  interest.  Bright  textiles, 
jewels,  portraits,  architectural  detail,  landscapes  which 
seem  to  be  viewed  through  a  reducing  glass,  are  painted  in 
warm  color,  and  the  influence  of  the  miniaturist's  art  is  very 
apparent. 

The  picture  shown  opposite  is  a  beautiful  example  of  the 
early  Flemish  school.  Although  ordinarily  attributed  to 
Rogier  van  der  Weyden,  it  is  argued  with  some  reason  that 
it  is  by  Gerard  David.  The  subject  is  St.  Luke  drawing 
the  portrait  of  the  Virgin,  one  of  the  legends  of  St.  Luke. 
His  usual  symbol,  the  ox,  is  seen  in  a  small  room  at  the  right, 
under  the  colored  window  and  the  book.  The  Virgin  is 
seated  under  a  canopy  of  Flemish  brocade,  on  a  Gothic 
wooden  bench,  on  which  is  carved  the  Temptation  of  Eve. 
A  loggia  opens  upon  a  garden  with  violets  and  other  flowers, 
where  a  man  and  a  woman  are  looking  over  a  parapet. 
The  distance  presents  one  of  those  landscapes  which  the 
Flemish  artists  delighted  to  paint. 

The  picture  is  upon  an  oak  panel,  and,  like  many  other 
productions  of  these  wonderful  painters,  is  remarkable  as 
well  for  its  draughtsmanship  and  the  establishment  of  forms 
in  pure  grisaille  as  for  its  color  in  its  completed  state.  It  is 
repainted  in  parts.  The  columns,  the  cushion  on  which  the 
Saint  kneels,  the  dark  folds  of  the  Virgin's  robe,  and  the 
sky  and  distance  on  the  right,  are  easily  distinguished  as  the 
work  of  a  restorer.  Beautiful  as  the  original  work  is  when 
viewed  close  at  hand,  its  color  is  still  more  luminous  when 
looked  at  from  a  distance. 


FLEMISH 


169 


St.  Luke  Drawing  the  Portrait  of  the  Virgin 
Flemish  School,  Fifteenth  Century 


170 


PICTURES 


Anna  Maria  de  Schodt        Anllunnj  Vmi  T>yck,  1599-16  ',  1 

A  burgher's  wife  dressed  in  her  most  costly  gown.  This 
portrait  is  identified  with  that  formerly  over  the  family 
tomb  in  the  cathedral  of  St.  Gudule  at  Brussels.1 


1  Rooses,  Funfzig  Meisterwerke  von  Van  Dyck,  Leipzig,  1900; 
p.  85. 


FRENCH 


I/I 


Arnauld  d'Andilly          Philippe  de  Champa'igne,  1602-1674 

In  1647  Arnauld  d'Andilly,  elder  brother  of  the  famous 
Dr.  Antoine  Arnauld,  had  deserted  the  court  of  Louis  XIII 
and  was  living  at  the  Abbey  of  Port  Royal  des  Champs, 
not  many  miles  from  Versailles,  where  he  devoted  himself 
to  the  religious  life  and  to  intellectual  pursuits  and  the  culti- 
vation of  his  garden.  The  portrait  shows  him  as  he  was,  a 
man  of  intelligence  and  amiability.  Philippe  de  Cham- 
paigne,  Flemish  by  birth  but  French  by  choice,  was  the 
painter  of  Port  Royal,  and  d'Andilly  a  noted  adherent. 
Artist  and  subject  make  this  painting  an  historic  document 
of  moment. 


172 


PICTURES 


Parnassds,  one  of  the  few  paintings  in  the  Museum 
representing  a  mythological  subject,  is  an  important 
example  of  Claude  Lorraine,  who  painted  especially 
landscapes,  in  which  he  endeavored  to  express  various 
effects  of  light  and  transparent  atmosphere.  He  exer- 
cised a  great  influence  upon  modern  painters,  upon 
Turner  in  England  and  Corot  in  France. 

This  picture  was  painted  for  the  Constable  Colon na 
in  1681.  In  the  disposition  of  the  figures  of  the  picture 
Claude  was  inspired  by  the  famous  fresco  of  Raphael  in 
the  Vatican,  representing  the  same  subject.  The  Muses 
are  assembled  on  Mt.  Helicon,  listening  to  the  lyre 
of  Apollo;  nearby  is  the  fountain  Hippocrene,  which 
Pegasus  caused  to  spring  up  with  a  blow  from  his  hoof. 
But  in  a  picture  by  Claude  the  figures  always  count  for 
little;  its  charm  lies  in  the  poetically-conceived  land- 
scape, with  its  harmony  of  line  and  delicately-blending, 
soft  color. 


FRENCH 


173 


Going  to  Market 


Francois  Boucher,  1703-1770 


from 


The    Museum    also    possesses        The     Return 
Market,"  a  companion  piece  to  this  picture. 

Boucher's  talents  were  devoted  to  the  entertainment  of 
the  luxurious  court  of  Louis  XV  and  the  circle  of  Madame 
de  Pompadour.  His  easel  pictures,  mural  paintings,  de- 
signs for  tapestries  and  scenery  for  the  theatre  reflect  the 
taste  and  temper  of  his  day,  its  pleasure  in  what  was  grace- 
ful, no  matter  how  unreal,  its  determination  to  ignore  every- 
thing painful  or  unpleasant.  Jean  Marc  Nattier,  1685— 
1766,  was  the  portrait  painter  of  this  same  society. 

The  world  for  which  Boucher  painted  was  weary  of  the 
academic  compositions  of  the  days  of  Louis  XIV.  It  had 
welcomed  the  "fetes  galantes"  of  Watteau,  1684-1721, 
and  of  Lancret,  1690-1743.  Boucher's  successor,  Frago- 
nard,  1732-1806,  painted  still  more  intimately  its  manners 
and  fashions. 


Benjamin  Franklin 


J.  S.  Duplessis,  1725-1802 


During  his  sojourn  in  France,  1776-1783,  Franklin's 
portrait  was  painted  repeatedly.  He  wrote  in  1780:  "I 
have  at  the  request  of  friends  sat  so  much  and  so  often  to 
painters  and  statuaries,  that  I  am  perfectly  sick  of  it."  ' 
The  portrait  by  Duplessis,  of  which  this  is  one  of  several 
replicas,  is  considered  the  best.2 

Lent  by  the  Boston  Athenaeum. 

1  Franklin's  Works,  edited  by  John  Bigelow,  v.  VII,  p.  96. 
a  See  McChire'g  Magazine,  Jan.,  1897,  p.  269. 


FRENCH 


175 


FRENCH  PAINTING  IN  THE  NINETEENTH  CENTURY 

A  notable  characteristic  of  the  art  of  the  nineteenth  cen- 
tury is  the  enlargement  of  the  range  of  subjects  treated  in 
painting.  Gericault,  followed  by  Delacroix  (see  p.  178)  and 
the  romantic  school,  reflecting  the  widespread  unrest  which 
led  to  the  Revolutions  of  1830  and  1848,  substituted  scenes 
from  the  novel,  history,  contemporary  romance  and  tragedy 
for  the  academic  subjects  of  David  and  the  classicists. 
Delacroix,  Fromentin,  and  Decamps  made  known  the  life, 
and  painted  the  brilliant  colors  of  Algiers  and  the  Levant. 

Influenced  by  Constable  and  Bonington  in  England, 
Rousseau,  Corot  (see  p.  177),  Daubigny,  Diaz  (see  the  pic- 
ture called  "The  Descent  of  the  Bohemians")  and  Dupre 
added  the  vast  domain  of  landscape  painting  to  art.  Others 
like  Troyon  painted  animals  with  landscape.  With  them 
at  Barbizon  was  Millet,  a  peasant  from  Cherbourg,  who 
painted  the  peasant  at  his  work.  Millet  once  wrote:  "De- 
void though  the  peasant's  toil  may  be  of  joyousness,  it 
nevertheless  stands,  not  only  for  true  human  nature,  but 
also  for  the  loftiest  poetry."  (See  pp.  179  and  180.) 

The  most  radical  departure  of  the  century  came  after 
1850  with  those  artists,  later  known  as  the  Impressionists, 
"among  whom  Manet  was  the  pioneer  and  Monet  the  most 
consistent  exponent.  Manet  said,  "The  principal  person  in 
a  picture  is  the  light,"  and  these  artists  rendered  light,  the 
light  of  the  air,  the  light  of  every  object  and  its  reflections 
on  other  objects,  and  so  accomplished  their  picture. 

The  end  of  the  century  has  welcomed  paintings  which 
depict  the  life  of  the  laborer  in  all  its  phases ;  every  side  of 
life  has  been  touched  with  beauty.  There  has  been  an  in- 
crease in  mural  decoration ;  and  portraiture,  which  has 
produced  great  works  all  through  the  century,  still  continues 
its  activity. 


PICTURES 


Portrait  of  the  Marquis  de  Paxtoret,  Chancellor  of  France,  1829 
Paul  Delaroche,  1797-1856 

Delaroche  is  principally  known  by  his  historical  pic- 
tures and  by  his  mural  painting  decorating  the  hcini- 
cycle  of  the  Academy  of  the  Beaux  Arts  in  Paris.  This 
portrait  shows  him  a  master  also  in  portraiture.  The  fea- 
tures of  the  dreamy,  melancholy  countenance  are  studied 
with  the  conscientiousness  of  a  primitive  painter.  The 
portrait  was  probably  painted  in  1 829,  when  the  Marquis 
had  just  been  made  Chancellor  of  France. 


FRENCH 


1/7 


Dante  and  Virgil          J .  B.  C.  Carol,  1796-1875 

Corot's  art,  a  highly  poetical  interpretation  of  nature, 
depicts  the  most  subtle  atmospheric  effects,  such  as  the 
falling  light  of  evening  or  the  moment  just  before  sunrise, 
which  is  the  time  chosen  for  this  picture.  Dante  is  lost  in  a 
dark  wood  and  is  rescued  by  Virgil  from  a  lion,  a  leopardess, 
and  a  she-wolf,  who  bar  his  way.  (Inferno,  canto  I.) 


I78 


PICTURES 


Pieth,  painted  1848 


F.  V.  Eugene  Delacroix,  1798-1863 


This  pietd  is  conceived  in  the  spirit  which  marked  Dela- 
croix as  the  most  important  figure  in  the  Romantic  move- 
ment. Though  dark,  it  is  rich  in  color,  and  it  was  consid- 
ered by  the  painter  one  of  his  most  beautiful  works.  Dela- 
croix was  among  the  first  of  the  French  painters  of  the 
nineteenth  century  to  revive  the  religious  subject,  which  had 
been  banished  from  French  art  by  the  Revolution  and  the 
classicism  of  David. 


FRENCH 


1/9 


Washerwomen 


J.F.  Millet,  1814-1875 


The  two  women  are  at  work.  They  have  been  washing 
clothes  in  the  river,  and  now  one  of  them  stands  on  a  rock 
piling  the  still  wet  and  heavy  lumps  of  linen  on  the  other's 
back.  The  second  woman  bends  her  head,  and  holds  her 
left  hand  on  her  hip  to  support  the  load,  while  she  steadies 
it  with  her  right  hand.  A  third  figure  is  walking  away  along 
the  water's  edge.  The  level  plain  with  a  far  away  church, 
tree  or  haystack,  usual  in  Millet's  pictures,  is  here  replaced 
by  a  river,  and  the  effect  of  space  is  secured  by  the  distant 
man  in  the  boat  and  the  cattle  standing  on  the  top  of  the 
opposite  bank.  It  is  twilight  fast  deepening  into  darkness, 
a  favorite  time  with  this  painter,  for  details  of  hands,  dress, 
and  features  are  then  lost,  and  there  only  remain  the 
statuesque  outlines  of  the  figures  against  the  glow  in  the 
sky  and  the  rhythmic  sweep  of  their  movements. 


1 8o 


PICTURES 


J.  F.  Millet,  1814-1875 


In  the  foreground,  two  women  are  hard  at  work  loading 
sheaves  into  a  handbarrow;  a  man  and  a  woman  with  a 
filled  barrow,  and  two  heavily  laden  women  carry  the 
sheaves  to  a  group  of  men  in  the  background  who  are  en- 
ergetically threshing  out  the  grain ;  another  man  piles  the 
straw  with  a  fork.  Farther  on  billows  of  smoke  from  the 
burning  straw  soar  into  the  sky.  Among  the  charcoal 
drawings  by  Millet  in  the  Museum  are  studies  of  The 
Sower,  The  Gleaners,  Sliepherdesses,  A  Woman  Churning, 
and  Women  Sewing  (see  p.  368). 


182 


PICTURES 


V Eminence  Grise,  painted  1874 


J.  L.  Gtrtnic,  1824-1004 


Father  Joseph,  a  Capuchin  monk,  was  secretary  and  con- 
fidant of  Richelieu.  His  powerful  position  won  for  him  the 
name  "His  Grey  Eminence,"  in  distinction  from  his  mas- 
ter's title.  He  is  here  seen  descending  the  stairs  of  the 
Cardinal's  palace  engrossed  in  his  breviary,  while  a  num- 
ber of  courtiers  ascend  to  some  reception.  They  make 
way  for  him  and  bow  in  token  of  their  recognition  of  his 
influence.  The  contrast  between  the  affected  servility  of 
the  rich  and  the  unassuming  bearing  of  the  friar  is  the  occa- 
sion of  the  picture. 

Gerome's  knowledge  and  his  wealth  of  detail  in  telling  a 
story  make  this  work  justly  famous.  The  conception,  it 
must  be  confessed,  is  not  very  deep  —  theatrical  perhaps, 
rather  than  dramatic;  there  is  also  a  certain  dryness  and 
lack  of  atmosphere  in  the  picture,  due  to  its  artificial 
illumination  and  the  artist's  inattention  to  exact  tone  rela- 
tions. The  whole  work  is  a  brilliant  illustration  in  color 
rather  than  an  inspired  presentation  of  the  truth. 


FRENCH 


183 


Race  Horses 


H.  G.  E.  Degas,  born  1834 


This  artist  finds  his  inspiration  in  those  elements  of 
Parisian  life  represented  by  the  ballet,  the  cafe  concert,  and 
the  race-course.  He  brings  a  subtle  power  of  observation, 
a  profound  technique,  and  a  sense  of  elegance  which  is 
temperamental,  to  portray  its  incidents. 

In  the  picture,  "Race  Horses,"  it  is  a  clear  but  overcast 
day;  the  sky  is  threatening,  with  clouds  tinted  like  rose 
leaves;  there  are  no  shadows,  and  colors  are  emphasized. 
At  the  back  is  the  height  of  Suresnes,  with  trim  gardens  and 
houses  clinging  to  its  slopes ;  in  front  is  the  race-course  of 
Longchamp.  Still  nearer  in  the  paddock,  ready  for  the 
struggle,  are  eleven  race  horses,  —  high  bred,  nervous,  and 
restless  creatures,  —  with  their  gentlemen  jockies  in  gay 
jackets. 

Many  influences  helped  to  mould  the  art  of  Degas,  among 
them  the  example  of  Manet  and  the  principles  of  Japanese 
decorative  painting. 


1 84 


PICTURES 


AutoinedL 


Horses  of  Achilles 

Henri  RegnauLi,  1843-1871 


Xanthos  and  Balios,  the  immortal  horses  of  Achilles,  con- 
scious of  the  hero's  approaching  death,  already  foretold  by 
one  of  them  in  speech,  are  struggling  with  Automedon,  his 
charioteer.  The  stormy  sky  with  a  pale  glimmer  on  the 
horizon,  the  ominous  sea,  the  barren  shore,  presage  disaster. 

The  painter's  enthusiasm  for  horses,  his  magnificent 
color,  his  facile  power  of  drawing,  are  here  united  in  an 
impetuous  composition.  The  picture  was  Regnault's 
envoi  as  the  holder  of  the  Prix  de  Rome  at  the  age  of  twenty- 
four.  Three  years  later  this  happy  genius  met  his  tragic 
end  in  the  last  sortie  against  the  Germans  besieging  Paris. 


ENGLISH 


I85 


Portrait  of  Ifrx.  Folk 
Sir  Juxlnia  ttryitiildx,   t7tS-179t 

Sir  Joshua  Reynolds  returned  to  England  in  1752,  at 
the  age  of  twenty-nine,  after  having  spent  nearly  three 
years  in  Italy.  He  rapidly  became  the  fashionable  por- 
trait-painter, and  his  career  was  one  of  unbroken  success. 
He  had,  however,  little  technical  training,  and  in  the 
use  of  pigments  was  devoted  to  experiments  too  often 
unsuccessful ;  but  grace,  beauty,  and  charm  his  pictures 
always  possessed. 


1 86 


IMCTrill.S 


ENGLISH 


I87 


The  Slare  Ship,  painted  18  fl  J.  M.  H'.  Turner,  1775-1851 

The  original  title  of  the  painting  was  "Slaver  Throwing 
Overboard  the  Dead  and  Dying:  Typhoon  Coming  on." 
It  was  once  in  the  possession  of  John  Ruskin,  who  wrote  of 
it  that  "it  was  the  noblest  sea  Turner  ever  painted."1 
The  print  collection  contains  fine  examples  from  the 
"  Liber  Studiorum  "  (see  p.  362). 

In  the  same  gallery  there  is  a  pleasing  example  of  Richard 
Wilson,  1714-178-2,  with  the  usual  Italian  landscape,  a 
tower  on  a  hill,  a  picturesque  valley  in  the  foreground,  and 
the  wide  stretch  of  the  Roman  Campagna  beyond.  With 
this  may  be  compared  a  small  work  of  John  Constable, 
1776-1837;  and  the  fine  example  of  John  Crome,  1769- 
1821,  which  shows  a  distant  view  of  the  city  of  Norwich 
and  its  cathedral. 


1  Modern  Painters,  London,  1867;  vol.  I,  p.  376. 


188 


PICTfKI.S 


Portrait  of  John  EI 
Thoma*  Gainsborough,  1717-1788 

Thomas  Gainsborough,  celebrated  as  a  painter  both 
of  portraits  and  landscapes,  became  one  of  the  charter 
members  of  the  Royal  Academy  in  1768,  and  lived  in 
London  from  1774.  The  Portrait  of  John  Eld,  founder 
of  the  Staffordshire  General  Infirmary,  the  design  for 
whose  facade  he  holds  in  his  hand,  was  painted  toward 
1772.  It  had  been  kept  in  the  Infirmary  up  to 
May,  1912. 


ENGLISH 


189 


Le  Chant  d' Amour  (water-color) 

Sir  Edward  Bume-Jones,  1833-1898 

"Helas!    Je  sais  un  chant  d'amour, 
Triste  ou  gai,  tour  a  tour." 

On  a  terrace  overlooking  a  meadow  l)efore  a  mediaeval 
town  a  knight  sits  gazing  at  a  lady  who  is  singing.  With 
one  hand  she  holds  open  a  book  and  with  the  other  plays  on 
an  organ.  At  the  bellows  of  the  organ  sits  a  winged  figure, 
blindfolded,  clothed  in  red,  whose  head  is  wreathed  with 
roses.  The  subject,  steeped  in  romance  and  poetic  fancy, 
is  rendered  in  rich  color  contrasts  of  definite  claret-purple, 
subdued  scarlet,  pale  yellows,  and  atmospheric  blues.  The 
draughtsmanship  is  more  genuine  and  less  artificial  than  in 
the  artist's  later  work,  when  he  was  striving  for  more  cor- 
rect details.  This  water-color  was  painted  in  1865.  A 
larger  version  in  oils  of  the  same  subject  differing  in  some 
details  was  begun  in  1868  and  finished  in  1877. 

The  poetic  decorative  art  of  Burne-Jones  found  expres- 
sion in  oils,  water-color,  and  tempera  paintings,  and  in 
scores  of  cartoons  for  stained  glass  windows,  mosaics  and 
tapestries. 


1 90 


PICTURES 


F.ARI.Y   AMERICAN   PAINTING. 

The  earliest  portrait  painters  of  merit  in  the  colo- 
nies, Sinibert  anil  Blackburn,  were  followed  by  John 
Singh-ton  Copley.  By  177J-,  when  Copley  first  went 
to  England,  he  had  painted  a  collection  of  portraits 
which  {rive  an  intimate  picture  of  American  society 
before  tin-  Revolution.  (See  pp.  I'M,  1!^,  li>8,  196.) 

Benjamin  West  went  to 
Italy  when  twenty-two 
years  old,  and  three  years 
later  to  Knjrland.  He 
pained  the  favor  of  King 
George  III,  helped  found 
the  Royal  Academy  and 
became  its  president  in 
1 7<t->,  after  the  death  of 
Reynolds.  (See  p.  198.) 
Among  "West's  pupils 
were  Charles  Wilson  Peale 
and  Gilbert  Stuart,  both 
famous  for  their  portraits 
of  Washington,  and  the 
1\'nxJrinfffr>n  JH.f'on  latter  the  best  of  the  early 

Min'mtHi-i  l»j  i'.iliranl <;.Mtill»»ie  portrait    painters.      (See 
1777-1807  pp.    I'll,   195,   H>7.) 

With   Stuart  in  West's 

studio  worked  John  Trumbull,  Robert  Fulton,  S.  F.  B. 
Morse,  Edward  G.  Malbone,  Washington  Allston  (a 
man  of  great  personal  charm,  born  in  South  Carolina), 
and  William  Dunlap.  The  Museum  contains  many 
pictures  and  sketches  by  Allston,  with  examples  of  his 
contemporaries,  John  Neagle,  Thomas  Sully  (see  p. 
199),  Henry  Inman,  W.  Page,  and  Francis  Alexander. 


AMERICAN 


Samuel  Adams  John  Singleton  Copley,  1737-1815 

Painted  by  Copley  in  1772  at  the  order  of  John  Hancock, 
whose  likeness  was  executed  at  the  same  time.  Adams  is 
shown  addressing  the  British  governor,  Hutchinson,  the 
day  following  the  Boston  Massacre  in  1770.  He  points  to 
the  Charter  of  Massachusetts  with  his  outstretched  left 
hand,  and  grasps  his  brief,  marked  "Instructions  of  the 
Town  of  Boston,"  with  the  right. 

Lent  by  the  City  of  Boston. 


IMCTt'KKS 


Mr.  and  Mrs.  Izard 


John  Singleton  Copley,  1737-1815 


In  the  spring  of  1774  Copley,  then  aged  thirty-seven, 
left  Boston  for  England.  Soon  afterwards  he  journeyed  to 
Rome  with  Mr.  Izard,  a  wealthy  planter  of  South  Carolina, 
and  his  wife.  This  picture  he  produced  the  following 
winter,  and  it  was  his  first  group  so  far  as  is  known.  It  was 
taken  back  to  England,  and  the  approach  of  the  Revolution 
having  produced  difficulties  in  Mr.  Izard's  financial  affairs 
so  that  he  was  unable  to  pay  for  it,  it  remained  in  Copley's 
possession  until  18-2.>.  when  it  was  sold  to  Mr.  Izard's 
grandson. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Izard,  with  a  table  between  them,  sit  on 
a  chair  and  sofa  upholstered  in  rose  damask  with  a  rose 
damask  curtain  at  the  back  on  one  side.  Souvenirs  of  their 
Italian  journey  surround  them.  The  picture  is  in  Copley's 
Boston  style,  with  some  of  his  early  rigidity  apparent  in  the 
man,  but  the  lady  is  painted  in  his  best  manner. 


AMKKICAX 


Family  Portrait 


John  Singleton  Copley.  1737-1815 


The  picture  shows  the  artist  and  his  family,  life  size. 
Copley  himself  stands  in  the  background.  The  old  man 
before  him  is  Mr.  Clarke,  his  father-in-law,  famous  as  the 
consignee  of  the  cargo  of  tea  of  the  "Boston  Tea  Party." 
Mrs.  Copley,  on  the  sofa,  is  caressing  their  son  John,  who 
lived  to  be  Lord  Lyndhurst  and  three  times  Lord  Chan- 
cellor of  England. 

This  is  one  of  Copley's  best  paintings.  It  shows  the  be- 
ginning of  his  English  manner,  but  retains  the  finer  qualities 
of  his  colonial  work.  The  painting  of  the  heads  is  excellent. 
The  figure  of  the  little  girl  in  the  centre  is  reminiscent  of  the 
canvases  of  Van  Dyck.  The  subject  is  well  within  his 
range,  is  noble  in  conception,  and  most  skilfully  executed. 
Notice,  for  instance,  the  treatment  of  the  doll  in  the  corner 
of  the  picture. 

Lent  by  Copley  Amory. 


PICTURES 


Martha  Washington 


(lilhcrt  Stuart.  1755-1828 


These  portraits  of  Washington  and  his  wife  were  painted 
from  life  by  Gilbert  Stuart  in  the  spring  of  1796  at  Phila- 
delphia. Washington,  acceding  to  the  request  of  Stuart, 
permitted  the  artist  to  keep  the  originals  and  accepted 
copies  in  their  place.  The  originals  remained  unfinished 
in  the  possession  of  Stuart  until  his  death  in  1828.  The 
portrait  of  Washington  served  in  the  production  of  many 


AMERICAN 


George  Washington  Gilbert  Stuart,  1755-1828 

pictures  up  to  that  date.  Owing  to  the  large  number  of 
these  repetitions,  the  portrait  became  widely  known,  and 
it  is  regarded  as  his  standard  likeness.  The  artist's  widow 
sold  these  studies  after  his  death  to  the  Washington  Asso- 
ciation, by  which  they  were  presented  to  the  Boston 
Athenaeum  in  1831 

Lent  by  the  Boston  Athenaeum. 


196 


PICTURES 


John  Quincy  Adams        John  Singleton  Copley,  1737-1815 

This  picture  of  the  sixth  President  of  the  United  States 
was  painted  in  1795,  when  Adams  was  twenty-seven  years 
old  and  Minister  at  The  Hague. 

The  portrait  exhibits  the  sense  of  grace  and  distinction 
for  which  Copley  strove,  though  with  some  loss  of  that 
strength  of  character  which  distinguished  his  early  work. 
It  should  be  compared  with  the  portrait  of  Adams  by 
W.  Page  painted  many  years  later. 

Lent  by  Charles  Francis  Adams. 


AMI.KICAX 


Mnjor-General  Henry  Kno.r 


Gilbert  Stuart,  1755-1828 


Artillery  officer,  companion  and  adviser  of  Washington, 
Secretary  of  War  1785-1794.  Judging  from  the  age  of 
the  General,  the  portrait  belongs  to  the  time  of  Stuart's 
ripest  production,  about  1800.  General  Knox,  well-edu- 
cated and  affable,  commended  himself  to  the  artist  as  a 
brother  spirit,  and  he  is  here  the  subject  of  one  of  Stuart's 
most  successful  portraits. 

Lent  by  the  City  of  Boston. 


198 


PICTURES 


AMERICAN 


199 


The  Torn  Tint 


Thomas  Sully,  17S3-1S7S 


Sully  has  here  rendered  the  happy  inspiration  of  a  bov's 
healthy,  attractive  face  seen  in  warm  sunlight  with  the 
shadows  illumined  by  reflections. 

Lent  by  Miss  Margaret  Greene. 


2OO 


PICTrHKS 


William  Mnrnx  ITuiit,   /,s'.';-/.<?~'> 


The  Museum  is  rich  in  the  work  of  William  Morris 
Hunt.  Several  other  oil  paintings,  as  well  as  a  num- 
ber of  water-colors,  sketches,  and  drawings  in  charcoal, 
are  on  exhibition  in  the  Hunt  Memorial  Gallery,  over 
the  Library  of  the  Museum. 


A.MKKICAN 


201 


The  blacksmith  of  Lyine-Regis 
J.  A.  McNelU   Whistler,  1834-1903 

The  Museum  owns  also  a  companion  piece  called 
"  The  Little  Rose  of  Lyme-Regis."  Whistler's  etch- 
ings may  be  seen  in  the  print  collection. 


2O2 


PICTURES 


The  Pity 


The  rapidlv  advancing  fog  warns  th<>  fisherman  to  return 
t.»  his  ship  before  it  disappears  and  he  loses  his  l>ea rings. 

In  addition  to  this  pit-hire,  there  are  on  exhibition  several 
water  colors  by  Homer,  and  the  painting  known  as  "All's 
Well." 


AMERICAN 


203 


Cm-it  as 


Al>l»ttt,  If.  Thaynr,  1S49- 


204 


PICTURES 


Mother  and  <  'liilil 


droryr,  di>  Forrxt  JJmxJi,   /.V.7.7- 


AMKRICAN 


205 


Isabella,  or  The  Pot  of  Basil 
.1.   IT.  Alexander,  1856- 

Isabella,  whose  lover  has  been  murdered  by  her  brothers 
in  a  wood  near  Florence,  secretly  hides  his  head  in  a  pot,  in 
which  she  plants  sweet  basil.  The  story  is  told  in  Boc- 
caccio's "Decamerone,"  and  in  Keats'  poem,  "Isabella, 
or  the  Pot  of  Basil." 


206 


PICTURES 


Girl  l\f-<i<li>nf 


Edmund  C.  TarMl.  1862- 


AMERICAN 


207 


J'nrffdit  nfflu    Mixxtx  Holt 


John  S.  Surgent,  1S56- 


Born  at  Florence  of  American  parents.  Pupil  of 
Carolus-Duran.  Has  lived  mostly  in  Europe.  Painter 
of  portraits  and  of  genre  subjects. 

This  portrait,  one  of  the  first  works  of  Sargent,  and 
which  contributed  to  establish  his  reputation,  was 
painted  in  1882. 

Lent  by  Mr.  Edward  D.  Boit. 


208 


PICTUKKS 


John  S.  Sart/t'iit,   /.S'J6'— 

Mr.  Sargent  has  preferred  for  some  years  to  paint 
in  watercolor.  In  1912  the  Museum  acquired  a  series 
of  forty-five  watercolors  executed  in  Italy,  in  Spain, 
and  in  Switzerland  during  the  last  three  or  four  years. 


WESTERN    ART 

MOHAMMEDAN    AND    KLROPKAN 


GROITND  FLOOR 


Tx  and  WA  fadioatt  thr  'I't .rfih,  Study  and  the 
office  of  flu'  l>i  part  ment 


MOHAMMKUAN  213 

THK  NKARKR  ORIENT 

Saracen,  meaning  "Eastern,"  was  a  term  applied 
first  to  the  Arabs,  later  to  all  Mohammedans,  and  in  the 
Middle  Ages  to  all  Eastern  opponents  of  the  Crusades. 
There  were  many  centres  of  Saracenic  art  at  different 
periods  of  the  Arab  Conquest,  including  Central  Asia, 
India,  the  Euphrates  country,  Syria,  Egypt,  Morocco, 
Spain,  Sicily,  and  Turkey.  Some  of  these  developments 
we  designate  by  special  names,  as  Persian,  Indian,  or 
Moorish  art;  but  all  are  related  to  one  another.  In 
some  respects  the  most  important  examples  of  the  Sara- 
cenic style  are  found  in  Egypt  because  of  the  almost 
continuous  record  furnished  by  the  mosques  of  Cairo, 
which  show,  in  their  simple  lines  and  restrained  decora- 
tion, the  purest  form  of  the  art  as  distinguished  from 
the  more  fanciful  outgrowth  in  Spain  or  India. 

Much  light  has  been  thrown  on  the  ceramic  art  of 
the  Arabs  within  the  last  few  years  by  excavations  at 
Rakka  and  other  ruined  cities  of  Syria  and  Persia.  The 
pottery  from  Rakka  seems  to  be  of  the  earliest  origin 
(ninth  to  twelfth  century),  and  some  of  it  bears  a  strong 
likeness  to  the  blue  glazed  jars  found  at  Babylon.  The 
rubbish  heaps  of  Fostat  (Old  Cairo,  destroyed  about 
1  lii.S)  and  of  Kus,  near  Luxor,  have  yielded  fragments 
of  dishes,  the  most  interesting  being  decorated  with  a 
brilliant  ruby  and  gold  lustre  on  a  white  tin  enamel 
ground,  which  method  of  enamelling  was  employed  on 
the  glazed  Egyptian  pottery  dating  as  early  as  1500 
B.  C.  Similarly  lustred  tiles  have  been  found  at 
Rhages,  Sultanieh,  and  Veramin  in  Persia,  and  it  is 
not  yet  possible  to  decide  whether  the  art  was  carried 
from  Egypt  to  Persia  or  vice  versa.  But  the  former 
seems  more  probable,  since  the  earliest  dated  tile  is  of 
the  twelfth  century,  and  a  noted  Persian  traveller  of 
the  eleventh  century  speaks  with  enthusiasm  of  the 
lustred  pottery  which  he  saw  at  Fostat  as  being  an  art 


214  WKSTKRX    ART 

unknown  to  him.  Many  of  these  tiles  bear  inscriptions, 
rloral  scrolls,  and  figures  with  strongly-marked  Mongo- 
lian features,  which  suggests  that  they  may  have  been 
produced  by  some  of  the  Chinese  workmen  brought 
into  Persia  with  Ghengis  Khan  early  in  the  thirteenth 
century. 

Pots  and  bowls  of  the  thirteenth  and  fourteenth  cen- 
turies, from  Syria,  are  painted  in  blue  and  greenish- 
black  under  a  glass  glaze.  The  lust  red  di>hes  and 
vases  made  by  the  Moors  in  Spain  and  Sicily  in  the 
fifteenth  century,  anil  later  by  the  Italians  at  Gubbio 
and  L'rbino,  all  bear  a  family  resemblance  to  the  tiles 
and  fragments,  although  the  styles  of  decoration  vary. 
The  pottery  made  under  Turkish  influence  at  Rhodes, 
Damascus,  and  Kutahia  date  from  the  fifteenth  century  ; 
and  in  the  sixteenth  century  factories  were  established 
at  Kouhacha,  in  Daghestan  ;  at  Kirman  in  the  seven- 
teenth century,  and  at  Kashan  and  Bokhara  in  the 
eighteenth  century.  Lustred  semi-porcelain  was  pro- 
duced in  the  sixteenth  and  seventeenth  centuries  in 
Persia,  the  colors  being  golden  yellow  or  pale  green 
lustre  on  dark  blue,  or  ruby  lustre  on  white. 

The  Arabs  worked  in  many  metals,  and  the  examples 
remaining  to  us  show  delicate  pierced  scrolls  or  elabo- 
rate inlay  in  gold  and  silver,  as  well  as  engraved  medal- 
lions, inscription  and  figures,  or  the  damascened  gold 
ornament  so  generally  found  on  the  sword  blades  for 
which  Damascus  was  noted.  A  few  carved  ivory  panels 
of  the  thirteenth  century  are  still  in  existence;  and 
beautiful  mosque  lamps  of  glass  with  colored  enamel 
decoration  are  found  in  several  European  collections. 
Among  the  illuminated  manuscripts,  the  Koran,  con- 
taining the  teachings  of  the  prophet  Mohamcd,  is  the 
most  important  book  of  the  Arabs.  The  highest  art 
of  the  period  is  lavished  on  its  two  title  pages,  which 
are  ornamented  with  beautifully  written  texts  set  in 
elaborate  and  delicate  floral  scrolls,  painted  in  red,  blue, 


MOHAMMEDAN'  2 1 5 

green,  and  gold;  and  the  carved,  gilded,  and  painted 
leather  bindings  have  also  great  charm.  Some  of  the 
greatest  treasures  of  the  Khedivial  Library  in  Cairo 
are  early  copies  of  the  Koran  which  were  made  for  the 
Sultans.  The  Makamat  of  Hariri  is  another  famous 
book.  The  works  of  the  Persian  poets  have  come 
down  to  us  in  illustrated  form.  F.  V.  P. 

Hooks. — Ameer  Ali.  Short  Hixtm'y  of  the  Saracens;  Lane- 
Poole.  Saracenic  Art:  \Vallis,  Persian  Lustre  Vases;  Journal  of 
Indian  Art :  Coomaraswany,  Mediaeral  Sinhalese.  Art;  Migeon, 
Manntl  (/'Art  Mnsnl/nan :  Max  Herz  Bey,  Catalogue  Musee 
National  de  I' A rt  Aral>e.  Cairo:  Sarre,  Jienkmaler  J'ersisclter 
Jianknnsf;  Artin,  Contribution  a  I'Ktmle  dn  filaxuii  rn  Orient; 
Calvert.  Moorish  Remains  in  Spain,  'J  vols. ;  Bourgoin,  Lus 
Art  Arafn-s:  K^t-rton.  Italian  Anif  and  Armor  in  the,  Indian 
Museum;  Ha  veil,  Indian  Painting  and  Si-n//>ti<ri  :  Jacob  and 
Hendlcy,  ./»•///«//•«  Enamels:  (.'<>!«•.  Indian  Art;  Bird  wood.  In- 
dustrial Arts  <>f  India;  }>nrlinufon  Fine.  Arts  Cltih  ILrhihition 
Cataloff*4»  IXS~>  and  I'.iuS:  Mi^con.  l^.r/ioslflon  des  Arts  Mussel- 
man,  J'aris,  I'm.!;  Oriental  Enamelled  (llass,  Vienna,  IS'i'J ; 
Poole.  Art  of  the  Sai-arens  in  Eyypt ;  F.  R.  Martin,  The  Minia- 
ture I'aintintj  of  I'erxia.  India,  and  Turkey,  /.'//.';  Catalogue  of 
Persian  Miniatures  exhibited  at  the  Mnsee,  lies  Art  it  1  >emratifs, 
J '</.'. 


Saracenic  (,'lann  f7l»h#  Thtrtxenth  Century 


2l6 


WESTERN    ART 


£a 


.... 

BtWl  _^>~- 

^7  ^P""— •<  _  _J 


Pulpit  Door  from  a  mosque  in  f'airo  with  carved  and 
inlaid  ebony  and  ivory  panels;  inscribed,  "Honor  to 
our  Master  the  Sultan  El  Malek  El  Zaher  Barquoq.  May 
God  make  glorious  his  reign."  Fourteenth  century. 


MOHAMMEDAN 


217 


\-  ruin  ii  Litx/ 


Tlni-fi  i  nth  Century 


1'iKiiiiihil  '.Vu.v.v  Tir,!ffli  to  Tliirti-rnlh  Cftititry 

Ross  (\illirt Ian 


218 


WESTERN   ART 


Persian  Tile 


Th  irtcniili  Century 


Star-Tile:  a  rare  specimen  of  Persian  art  dated,  in  its 
inscription,  657  of  Hegira  (1259  A.  I).).  It  is  probably 
from  Veramin,  a  town  in  Northern  Persia,  and  its  date 
puts  it  in  the  period  of  the  Mongol  invasions  and  within  a 
year  of  the  fall  of  the  Baghdad  Caliphate,  one  of  the  great 
events  in  the  history  of  the  nearer  East.  This  particular 
tile  is  reproduced  in  Dr.  Martin's  great  work  on  Persian 
Carpets.  There  are  other  and  very  interesting  examples  of 
the  same  art  in  the  Museum. 


MOHAMMEDAN 


219 


Turkish  Plate 


Si.vt.*n:tli  Century 


Turkish  ceramic 
wares  were  influ- 
enced by  both 
Persia  and  China. 
This  plate  belongs 
to  a  class  usually 
called  Rhodian, 
although  it  was 
probably  made  in 
one  of  the  mainland 
citiesof  Asia  Minor. 
The  main  design  of 
the  plate  shows 
flowers  of  the  field. 
The  border  design 
has  been  inter- 
preted as  represent- 
ing the  clouds  and  the  sky.  The  cypress  tree  (in  the  centre 
of  the  plate),  the  thistle  leaf,  the  rose,  the  tulip,  the  wild 
hyacinth,  and  the  carnation  are  familiar  in  the  designs  of 
Persian  textiles. 


The  beauty  of 
this  plate,  from  the 
Caucasus  country 
of  Daghestan,  is 
found  in  the  har- 
mony of  its  colors: 
greens,  reds,  and 
browns,  upon  a  soft 
yellow  -  brown 
ground  which  is 
further  enriched  by 
the  crackle  of  the 
glaze.  The  plate 
was  perhaps  a  wed- 
ding present. 


Plate  from  Koitbarha,  Daghesian 
Sixteenth  Century 


22O 


WESTERN    ART 


HitptOtO-iioretqtte  J)rug  Vase  and  Plate 
Valencia.  N/KK'H,  Fifteenth  Century 

The  best  known  Hispano-Moresque  ware  was  made  near 
Valencia,  Spain, in  the  fifteenth  century.  The  lustre  was 
produced  by  the  action  of  heated  smoke  on  the  metallic 
oxides  which  are  applied  over  the  white  enamel  glaze. 
Lustred  ornament  is  also  characteristic  of  much  Persian 
and  Arabic  work.  The  Moorish  potters  of  Spain  worked 
for  Christian  patrons.  Lustred  arms,  representing  mar- 
riage alliances  which  may  be  dated,  appear  on  many 
pieces,  and  by  this  means  the  sequence  of  the  decorative 
patterns  is  determined. 

The  vine  leaves  on  the  "Albarello"  or  Drug  Vase  shown 
in  the  illustration  are  alternately  in  blue  and  in  light 
brown  lustre,  the  blue  leaves  being  under  the  glaze  and 
the  lustred  leaves  upon  it.  The  wildbryony,  a  local  plant 
of  Valencia,  appears  in  blue  and  lustre  as  the  principal 
decoration  of  the  plate.  In  the  centre  of  the  plate  is  the 
monogram  I  H  S,  which  was  widely  popularised  in  the  fif- 
teenth century  by  San  Bernardino  of  Siena.  Valencia  pot- 
tery was  often  exported  to  Florence,  Siena,  and  Venice. 


MOHAMMEDAN 


221 


Title-page  from  a  Koran  of  the  fourteenth  century. 
Written  in  Moghribi  characters  and  illuminated  in  gold, 
dull  green,  and  brown.  North  African. 

Ross  Collection. 


222 


WESTERN   ART 


Persian  Cllilt-il  Li-nther  Jlnnk-bintUng 
Sixteenth  Centura 

Ross  Collection 


MOHAMMEDAN 


223 


Fiijnn-  an  a  Jlirone     Arabic  Painting 
Egyptian  <»•  Mrx»]tnf,iinian,  late  Tirrlfth  Century 

Goloubew  Collection 


224 


WESTERN   ART 


••—  -c    *•• 


MOHAMMEDAN 


225 


226 


WESTERN   ART 


JiiJidiif/ir  and  I  lit  Court 
Jii<li<iii  Paintinff,  rnrli/  S>  renteenth  Century 


Goloubew  Collection 


MOHAMMEDAN 


227 


Voo/i'.v  Ark  in  Ornamental  Arabic  Script 

From  r.<jyi>t .  Thirteenth  to  Fifteenth  Century 

lions  Collection 


44k}  «MA  ^ 


Srripffrom  <i  l\«nt»  Xinth  to  Tenth  Century 

Ross  Collection 


228 


WESTERN  ART 


;  >*• 

-. 


Title  Pages  of  a  I\<>nni 


Ilott 


MOHAMMEDAN 


229 


enlh  Century 


Collection 


230 


WESTERN  ART 


W  SAVINGS 

From  the  East  came  the  arts  of  weaving  and  needle  work, 
and  with  the  mechanical  knowledge  came  also  the  designs. 
As  pupils  follow  their  teachers  closely  at  first,  so  the  Euro- 
pean countries  followed  the  Oriental  ones,  using  many  of 
their  motives,  and  strong  Oriental  feeling  is  found  in  the 
early  weavings  of  Italy  and  Spain.  Tapestry  weaving,  as 
the  simplest  form  of  the  art,  was  practised  by  many  primi- 
tive peoples.  The  earliest  and  crudest  pieces  owned  by  the 
Museum  come  from  the  Coptic  graves  of  Egypt,  first  to 
eighth  century  A.  D.  (seeabove  and  p.  2  1  o),  and  from  the 
graves  of  Peru  (see  p.  2 1 4).  These  latter  pieces  were  made 
before  the  invasion  of  that  country  by  Pizarro  in  1531.  The 
looms  used  at  present  in  the  French  tapestry  works  at 
Paris  are  made  on  the  same  principles  as  those  upon  which 
the  Coptic  pieces  were  woven.  By  the  fifteenth  and 
sixteenth  centuries  tapestry  weaving  h;u]  reached  its 
greatest  height  in  Europe,  and  the  Museum  is  fortu- 
nate in  owning  two  beautiful  examples  of  the  work 
of  Flanders  at  that  period  (see  pp.  210-218).  Of 
later  date  (seventeenth  and  eighteenth  centuries)  are 
the  pieces  in  the  Collection  from  the  Brussels  and 
French  workshops  (see  p.  i^l ).  From  China  and 
Japan,  in  addition  to  the  large  Chinese  tapestry  illus- 
trated on  p.  346,  are  many  smaller  pieces  made  of  silk. 
Oriental  rugs,  like  tapestry,  are  still  woven  by  hand,  and 


MOHAMMl.DAN 


231 


with  as  simple  looms  as  those  that  were  in  use  many  hun- 
dred years  ago.  In  spite  of  the  great  improvement  made 
in  machinery  by  the  Europeans  and  Americans,  the  Ori- 
entals, with  their  hand  looms  and  vegetable  dyes,  still  sur- 
pass all  other  peoples  in  the  beauty  and  durability  of  their 
rugs.  Of  the  remainder  of  the  Collection,  the  larger  part 
of  the  weavings  consists  of  velvets,  brocades,  and  damasks 
from  Persia,  Turkey,  Italy,  Spain,  and  France.  The  Per- 
sian, Turkish,  and  Italian  pieces  are  especially  noteworthy 
for  their  beauty  of  color,  material,  and  texture.  S.  G.  F. 

Books.  —  Alan  S.  Cole.  Ornament  in  European  Silks;  Dujxmt- 
Auberville,  L'OnmnUdtt  Tixxns,  F.  Fiscbbach,  Textile  l-'d/n-icx; 
Julius  Lessing,  O«tMb«tammhtng  «V.v  KoiiiyllrJten  Kmutgtwtrbt 

MiixeiDux  ~n  1  it- rll >i :  Otto  v.  Falku,  Kwutffttekiektt  der  Seiden 
II ' i  lit- rei;  Jules  GuifFrey,  Lex  TVlpWMTMV  <ln  XII*  a  la  Fin  du 
X\'l"  Sfii'de;  Maurice  Feoaille,  /•,'/«/  <:in>'ral  dex  Tapixxi-ries  >ln 
la  Manufacture  dis  Oobflins d^puit ton  oriffinejvjtqu1  a  n<>x  jourx; 
George  Leland  Hunter.  Tii/iixt r'n-x  :  '/'lit  !/•  <)/-!i/i>i.  History,  and 
Renaissance;  Eugene  Muentz,  A  Short  History  of  Tapestry; 
\V.  (T.  Tho.nson,  History  of  Tapestry  i  Mrs.  A.  H.  Christie,  Kin- 
broidery  and  Tapettry  ll'euriii'j;  Orient  a!  Car/iets,  Ancient  Oriental 
Carpets,  Ixitli  published  by  the  Itoyal  lin(x'rial  Austrian  Museum, 
Vienna;  John  Kimberly  Mumford,  Oriental  Hugs;  F.  R.  Mar- 
tin, A  History  of  Oriental  Corfu  fx  Injure,  1SOO.  All  of  these 
books  may  be  consulted  in  the  Museum  Library. 

r 


Peruvian  Taprxtries     Before  tJia  Conqittxl,  T>uffl 

These  pieces  were  found  wrapped  around  mummies. 


232 


WKSTKRX   ART 


A  winged  figure,  eighteen  and 
one-half  inches  in  height.    This 
piece,    which    shows    strongly 
both  in  the  design  and  coloring 
the  influence  which  the  art  of 
Byzantium   had   upon   that   of 
Egypt,  was  found  in  a  ( 'optic- 
grave  at  Akhmim.    The  ground 
as  in  many  of  the  Coptic  tex- 
tiles is  of  natural  colored  linen, 
while  the  design  is  woven  with 
colored  wools.    The  wings  sug-    ' 
gest    the    possibility    that    the 
figure  represents  an  angel.    The 
drawing  is  crude;   the  color  of    "- 
the  flesh,  hair,  and  wings,  purple          /-.';////>//<;«  Tapestry 
brown  ;  the  tunic,  red  ;  and  the  Third  to  ilujhth  ( 'enturi/.A.D. 
skirt,  green. 


Also  from  Coptic  graves 
at  Akhmim.  In  the  drawing 
and  composition  of  this  de- 
sign, a  rabbit  nibbling  a 
bunch  of  grapes.  Roman  in- 
fluence is  very  strongly  felt, 
but  the  brilliancy  of  the  col- 
ors —  browns,  pinks  and 
greens  —  suggests  the  art  of 
By/antium.  The  ground  is 
linen,  the  pattern  wool. 
Squares  like  this  were  ap- 
plied to  garments.  Illustra- 
tions of  their  use  can  be  seen 

Third  to  Seventh  Century,  A.I),  in  the  mosaic  of  the  Empress 

Theodora  and  her  court,  in 

the  Church  of  San  Vitale  at  Ravenna. 


MOHAMMEDAN 


233 


IE^»rti£-Trr_^^»*w*T~_jfc' ,^»  *-  _ 


This  rug,  which  is  woven  of  wool,  although  not 
purely  Indian  in  character,  —  as  it  shows  strongly  the 
influence  of  Persia,  and  to  a  lesser  degree  that  of  China, 

is  probably  of  Indian  manufacture. 


234 


WKSTKKN'   ART 


Turkish  I'nii/ir  Rug 


Ghiordes,  Serentfentfi  Century 


Central  field,  white;   ground  of  main  border,  dull  blue. 
Design  in  blue,  red,  white,  and  auiber. 


MOHAMMEDAN 


235 


^^'ic^.S^'H^c-ic^ 
**  °  ^  •  2  ^  rf  I  1 J  8  £  £  | 

Oc       ^.oc-0-^."?  — 

5  —     «     S     -•    &      .  -U     r-   "«     «        .     d 


**  •||tf|>^8"I|.ti8.9-s.|.*il| 

j;^        °oP±;_5.;       —rf^oj^       -^^t-3cs 

^j^:ii^u^  .ri-rl- 

Jl If   §   °-=    §   aT^   *1«*-rfltfJl!''J 

£"?  Jg  &S^--5-w  "| -si  2  &§J2t  ^«'-g 

C   ^TK  .£f~   a5-§Ct«:2aj£o-c9ogo-fl& 

•OwUtncStCPcoOaiC-StaDtiPOP—-^  — 


o  ^. 

•"   o 
^U 

11 

-fel 

• 

-o  £j 

fli   ^i 


O 

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o 

^2 

*-.s 
ic  g 

I! 


236 


WKSTKKN    ART 


Ruff,  probably  Persian  (called  Polish)          Seventeenth  Century 


This  ruff,  which  is  woven  with  silk,  silver,  and  gold, 
was  probably  made  in  Persia  for  a  royal  gift.  The 
name  is  derived  from  a  pretty  well  refuted  theory  that 
these  rugs  had  their  origin  in  Poland 


MOHAMMEDAN 


237 


It 

Cloth  of  gold  with  the  design  of  flowering  trees  and 
birds  woven  with  dull  green,  blue,  yellow,  pink,  and 
red  silk. 


WESTERN   ART 


Turkish  <>r  J'i  r.tian  Velvets 


Ground,  purple  brown. 
Bold  design  in  dark  red, 
gold,  and  touches  of 
bright  yellow. 


Ground,  red.  Design, 
yellow  silk  wound  with 
metal. 


Ground, 
crimson  satin. 
Design,  groups 
of  two  figures; 
one  with  an 
axe  over  its 
shoulder  leads 
the  other  fig- 
u  r  e  by  a 
string;  trees 
and  flowers; 
colors,  pale 
green,  yellow, 
white,  and 
black. 


Persian  Brocade 


Sixteenth  Century 


EUROPEAN 


239 


& 


I 


240  WKSTKKN   ART 

This  tapestry  (l4  ft.  2  in.  x  'J7  ft.  3  in.)  is  woven  with 
silk  and  wool.  Seated  at  the  base  of  the  columns  that 
divide  the  tapestry  are  Jeremiah,  Peter,  David,  Andrew, 
Isaiah,  James,  Hozea,  and  John.  Running  through  the 
lower  part  of  the  tapestry  are  two  ribbons;  on  one  is 
part  of  the  Apostles'  Creed:  "Credo  in  Deum  patrem 
omnipotem,  Creatorem  celi  (coeli)  et  terrae  et  in 
ihesura  (Jesum)  Xpristum  (Christum)  Filium  e(j)us 
unic(um)  Domi(n)um  nost(r)um.  Qui  conceptus  est  de 
Spiritu  Sancto  natus  ex  Maria  \  irgine  |>assus  sub  Poncio 
Pylato  crucifixus  mortuus  et  sepult(us)  "  :  "I  believe 
in  God  the  Father  Almighty,  Maker  of  heaven  and 
earth;  and  in  Jesus  Christ,  His  only  Son  our  Lord, 
Who  was  conceived  of  the  Holy  Ghost,  born  of  the 
Virgin  Mary,  suffered  under  Pontius  Pdate,  was  cruci- 
fied, dead  and  buried."  On  the  other  are  ''  Patrem 
invocabiimis  qui  terran  (m)  fecit  et  condidit  C(o)elos"  : 
We  will  call  upon,  or  pray  to,  the  Father  who  made 
the  earth  and  founded  the  heavens;  and  the  follow- 
ing lines  from  the  Old  Testament:  Dominus  dixit  ad 
me  filius  nieus  es  tu  "  :  "The  Lord  said  unto  me,  Thou 
art  my  son  "  (Psalms  ii.  7);  "  Kcce  virgo  concipict  et 
j)ariet  filium  "  :  Behold,  a  Virgin  shall  conceive  and 
bear  a  son"  (Isaiah  vii.  4);  "O  mors  oro  mors  tua 
morsus  tuus  ero  inferne  "  ("  F,ro  mors  tua,  O  mors! 
morsus  tuus  ero,  inferne  "):  "  O  death,  where  are  thy 
plagues?  O  grave,  where  is  thy  destruction?  "  (Hosea 
xiii.  14).  Letters  decorate  Isaiah's  garments,  the  loin 
cloth  of  Christ,  the  robes  of  the  Virgin  and  Joseph,  and 
the  hat  and  scabbard  of  the  man  standing  at  the  right 
of  the  tapestry.  On  the  scroll  borne  by  an  angel  is 

Gloria  in  exsexlis  (excelsis)  Deo  et  in  ter"  ("ra  pax 
hominibus  bonae  voluntatis '") :  Glory  to  God  in  the 
highest,  and  on  earth  peace,  good  will  toward  men  " 
(Luke  ii.  14). 

See  the  Museum  of  Fine  Arts  Bulletin,  February,  1909, 
Vol.  10.  Whole  No.  37,  pp.  5-T. 


EUROPEAN 


241 


242  WKSTKRX   ART 


Tliis  tapestry  (13|  by  19}  ft.)  is  the  product  of  the  best 
period  of  the  art  in  Flanders.  On  the  left,  Pharaoh  on  a 
richly  caparisoned  horse,  crowned  and  brandishing  a  sword, 
rides  in  the  midst  of  his  disheartened  soldiers,  urging  them 
to  press  forward  in  spite  of  the  constantly  rising  waters, 
while  Moses  upon  the  shore,  calm  and  complacent,  points 
out  to  the  Israelites  the  contrast  between  their  position,  the 
chosen  people  of  the  Lord,  and  that  of  their  oppressors,  the 
Egyptians.  The  safety  and  comfort  of  the  Israelites  is  em- 
phasized still  further  by  the  land  on  which  they  stand,  car- 
peted with  exquisite  flowers  of  many  varieties  and  shaded 
by  tall  trees.  The  people  are  represented  in  the  dress  and 
style  of  the  artist's  own  period.  The  Egyptians  wear  the 
armor  of  the  fifteenth  century,  the  Israelites,  the  costume 
of  civilians  of  that  time.  The  areas  occupied  by  the  vari- 
ous colors  —  greens,  blues,  reds,  and  soft  dull  tans  —  are 
proportioned  so  as  to  give  a  very  harmonious  effect.  Silk 
and  gold  add  light  and  richness.  The  whole  is  surrounded 
by  a  compact  border  of  flowering  branches  tied  with  ribbon. 


EUROPEAN 


243 


The  Efficacy  of  tfie  Sacrament 
Fntiflt  Tajtestry  Early  Sixteentii  Century 

Two  scenes,  the  legends  beneath  explaining  their  sig- 
ni6cance. 

"Par  la  vertu  du  Sacrament 
Fut  demonstre  ung  grant  miracle 
Car  le  diable  visiblement 
Sortit  hors  dung  dcmoniacle." 

(The  power  of  the  Sacrament  was  demonstrated  by  a 
groat  miracle,  for  tbe  devil  "'as  seen  to  pass  out  of  a  man 
possessed.) 

"Ung  payen  sans  honneur  passa 
Par  devant  le  sainct  Sacrament 
Mais  son  cheval  se  humilia 
Puys  crut  le  payen  fermement." 

(A  pagan  passed  before  the  Holy  Sacrament  without 
homage.  His  horse,  however,  abased  itself;  whereupon 
the  pagan  became  a  firm  believer.) 


244 


WESTERN    ART 


One  of  the  most  at- 
tractive phases  of  Ital- 
ian art  of  the  middle  of 
the  fifteenth  century  is 
its  sympathetic  treat- 
ment of  childhood. 
The  youthful  St. 
Johns,  the  Davids,  and 
the  very  human  Christ 
Child  are  among  the 
gifts  of  the  Renais- 
sance to  modern  art. 
This  group  of  two  boys 
in  marble  recalls  the 
work  of  Donatello  at 
Padua  and  elsewhere. 
The  humanism  of 
the  time  found  expres- 
sion in  both  painting 
and  sculpture.  The 
Renaissance  sculptors 
worked  in  marble, 
bronze,  and  clay.  Luca 
della  Robbia  toward  the  middle  of  the  fifteenth  century 
first  applied  the  white  enamel  glaze  to  modelled  groups  of 
terra-cotta  figures.  This  form  of  art  became  very  popular 
in  Italy  and  was  practised  for  about  a  century  by  the  della 
Robbia  family.  The  colors  at  first  were  white  for  the  fig- 
ures of  the  simple  groups  and  blue  for  the  background,  but 
gradually  other  colors,  as  well  as  more  detail,  were  added. 
The  group  on  the  opposite  page  is  probably  from  the 
workshop  of  Andrea  della  Robbia.  In  spite  of  the  long, 
thin  fingers  of  the  mother,  and  her  face  a  little  vacant  and 
formal,  the  hieratic  conception  of  the  Mother  and  Divine 
Child  seems  far  away,  and  the  life  of  human  infancy  very 
near.  The  position  suggests  an  instinctive  appeal  to  the 
Mother  from  something  that  has  caught  the  Child's  eye 


Marble  Group 
Style  of  Donatello  Fifteenth  Century 


Ml  KOPEAX 


245 


Madonna  and  Child          School  of  Andrea  detta  Robbia 
Florence,  Sixteenth  Century 


246  WESTERN  ART 


M<i<l<>ini(i  nnil  ( 'luld:  Stune  i'r<  m-li 


EUROPEAN 


Client  irifli   I'irri-nl  l'« IK  IK 
Italian,  Fifteenth  to  Sixteenth  Century 


FfOllf     I'dHfl    <>f    <>     Ch.tt 

French,  late  Fifteenth  Century 


248 


WKSTKKN    ART 


Wood  Panels,  Flamboyant  Gotfiic,  Sixteenth  Century 

To  see  the  great  cathedral*  of  the  Gothic  age  one  must 
journey  from  place  to  place  in  western  Europe,  but  the 
spirit  of  the  time  is  felt  in  even  its  smallest  works.  The 
torso  of  the  Madonna  and  Child  pictured  on  page  255 
represents  the  style  of  the  Pisani ;  the  small  ivory 
carving  is  French  work  of  the  fourteenth  century. 
The  elaborate  metal  cross  is  later. 

The  successive  stages  in  the  progress  of  Gothic  design  are 
often  marked  by  characteristic  patterns  in  the  tracerv  or 
frame  work  of  the  glass  of  windows.  In  the  earlier  period 
these  were  quite  simple:  later  they  became  connected 
geometric  patterns,  which  in  time  often  changed  to  a  design 
of  flowing  and  complex  curves.  These  window  tracery 
patterns  were  applied  to  stone  surfaces,  to  wood  carving, 
and  in  fact,  wherever  ornament  was  used.  The  wood  panels 
pictured  here  are  all  of  late  design  and  belong  to  Northern 
Europe,  where  the  Gothic  style  held  its  own  long  after 
Renaissance  ornament  derived  from  classic  art  had  taken 
its  place  in  Italy. 


EUROPEAN 


249 


Madonna  and  Child,  Marble  Madonna  and  Atuj<lx,  I  rory 

Italy,  Thirteenth  Century  France,  Fourteenth  Century 


Processional  Cross,  Metal 
Fifteenth  Century 


Venetian   Glass  Bowl 
Sixteenth  Century 


250 


W I  .STERN    ART 


Italian  Majolicu  I'latc 
Urbino,  Sixteenth  Century 


The  ]x)lychrome 
decoration  of  Ital- 
ian Majolica  often 
represents  portraits 
and  Greek  and 
Roman  mythologi- 
cal or  historical 
scenes.  This  plate 
shows  a  Renais- 
sance treatment  of 
the  story  of  the 
conversion  of  the 
Kni|>eror  Constan- 
tine.  Sl'2  A.D.  The 
sleeping  Emperor 
sees  in  a  dream  an 
angel  above  him 

holding  in  one  hand  the  Cross  and  in  the  other  a  scroll 
on  which  are  the  words  "7n  hoc  nujno  n'/ur.v."  Attendants 
bearing  the  Emj>eror's  sword  and  armor  stand  at  the  right. 
Chinese  porcelain,  brought  to  Kurope  by  trading  vessels 
in  the  sixteenth, 
seventeenth,  and 
eighteenth  centu- 
ries, was  imitated 
in  ]K)ttery  in  Hol- 
land at  Delft  and 
its  neighborhood. 
The  chief  charm 
of  Delft  ware  is 
its  deep  blue  and 
white  enamelled 
decoration,  but  it 
lacks  the  hardness 
and  translncency 
of  its  Chinese 

models.  Ulue  mid    U'/i<l«   Lfni/l    1'nffnrv 


EUROPEAN 


251 


252 


WESTERN   ART 


EUROPEAN 


253 


254 


WESTERN   ART 


Ground,  red ;  de- 
sign of  arabesques 
and  clovers  in  red, 
green,  yellow,  and 
white.  This  damask 
shows  strongly  the 
Moorish  influence 
upon  Spanish  work. 


Ar  V 


Ground  woven 
with  white,  blue,  and 
salmon  pink  silk  and 
narrow  strips  of  thin 
silver.  Design,  of 
both  cut  and  uncut 
velvet,  in  blue  and 
pink. 


Spanish  Damask 
Fourteenth  to  Sixteentfi  Century 


Italian  Velvet  Sixteenth  Century 


EUROPEAN  255 


Sicilian  Draicn-work  (punto  ilrato  or  tcla  tirata) 
Seventeenth  Century 

LACE 

Lace  is  divided  into  two  classes,  needle  jwint  or  point  lace, 
made  with  a  needle  and  loop  stitch,  and  bobbin  or  pillow 
lace,  woven  on  a  pillow  by  the  use  of  bobbins  and  pins. 
Netting  and  knotted  fringes  have  been  found  in  Egyptian 
graves,  and  they,  as  well  as  delicate  open  materials,  to  which 
embroidery  was  added,  were  made  in  the  East  at  an  early 
date.  But  we  have  no  proof  that  real  lace  was  made  before 
the  fifteenth  century,  when  we  find  it  decorating  the  cos- 
tumes of  people  in  pictures.  The  first  point  lace  is  a  de- 
velopment of  embroidery  and  was  made  by  drawing  threads 
from  linen  and  binding  together  in  groups  those  that  were 
left,  to  form  a  pattern.  Then  openings  were  cut  in  the 
linen  and  partially  filled  with  needle  work,  the  linen  being 
enriched  with  embroidery.  These  laces  are  known  as 
dniirn-trork  and  cut-work.  Next  came  reticclla,  in  which  it 
is  often  difficult  to  see  the  linen  foundation.  Floral  designs 
were  first  used  in  punto  in  aria  (stitch  in  the  air),  called  so 
because  it  was  made  without  a  linen  foundation.  From 
this  came  the  raised  points  and  various  needle  laces,  made 
without  a  net  ground,  or  "reseau."  To  Italy  is  due  the 
credit  of  their  origin,  but  they  were  copied  and  adapted  by 
other  countries  during  the  sixteenth,  seventeenth,  and 
eighteenth  centuries.  When,  in  the  eighteenth  century. 


256  WESTERN  ART 

ruffs  and  broad  flat  collars  were  supplanted  by  full  ruffles, 
a  softer  lace  was  needed,  and  France  made  the  needle  point 
"reseau,"  used  in  A  tendon  and  Argentan  laces,  and  Italy 
became  the  imitator.  Flanders  and  Italy  dispute  the  origin 
of  bobbin  lace.  In  Italy  the  designs  and  execution  were 
strong  and  bold,  but  in  Flanders  the  finest  and  most  mar- 
vellous workmanship  was  found.  S.  G.  F. 

Books.  —  Mrs.  Bury  Palliser,  History  of  Lace,  revised  by 
M.  Juurdain  and  Alice  Dryden :  Ernest  Lefehure,  Embroidery  and 
Lace,  Their  Manufacture  and  History,  translated  and  enlarged, 
with  notes  by  Alan  S.  Cole;  A.  M.  Sharp,  Point  and  Pillow  Lace. 
These  books  may  be  consulted  in  the  Library. 


Spanish  buratto 


Seventeenth  Century 


Part  of  a  long  strip.  The  buratto  or  bolting  cloth  upon 
which  the  design  is  darned  is  made  on  a  loom.  This  work 
was  done  in  imitation  of  darned  netting.  The  designs  of  the 
borders  are  of  earlier  date  than  the  figures  in  the  middle. 


EUROPEAN 


257 

1 


Italian  Embroidery  Sd-enteenth  Century 

The  white  linen  foundation,  left  plain  except  for  a  powder 
of  French  knots,  makes  the  design,  while  the  background  is 
solidly  embroidered  in  tent  stitch  with  red  silk. 

Three  scenes:  first,  Adam  in  the  Garden  of  Eden;  sec- 
ond, the  creation  of  Eve ;  third,  Adam  and  Eve  and  the  ser- 
pent, who  is  wound  around  the  tree  of  knowledge  and  is  in 
the  act  of  giving  the  apple  to  Eve.  Above,  a  border  with 
these  words:  "Adam,''  '"Adam  d  Era,"  "  Qui  magnano  il 
porno"  (here  they  are  eating  the  apple).  Below,  a  border 
of  plant  forms,  birds  and  animals. 


Italian  Reticetta 


Sixteenth  Century 


Design  of  figures  crudely  conceived,  but  well  balanced. 
Those  most  easily  recognized  are  Adam  and  Eve,  who 
stand  with  one  arm  akimbo  and  the  other  touching  the  tree, 
up  which  the  serpent  wriggles  to  get  the  forbidden  fruit. 


WESTERN  ART 


Italian  Cut-uvrk  d>unto  taijliato,  or  tela  tagliata) 
Laic  Siflccnth  Century 

The  needlework  filling  of  the  open  spaces  in  the  linen  was 
done  with  white  thread,  while  for  the  laid-work  embroidery 
gold  thread  was  used.  This  use  of  gold  thread  as  well  as 
the  design  shows  strong  Kastmi  inilueiur. 


:•£>&*' 

iL^^^SC^..  .r^gr;....;-: ... j^gQg ''."  "ft- 

Florcniinr  Cut-irnrk  (puntn  iayluito.or  tcla  tatjliuta) 
l-'.iykternth  Century 

The  combination  of  many  embroidery  stitches  and  of 
punto  in  aria  with  the  cut-work  adds  greatly  to  the  beauty 
and  value  of  this  piece. 


EUROPEAN 


259 


\  int'ttan  J'oint  ([>unto  in  aria) 


Seventeenth  ( 'cntury 


\  rare  example,  strong  and  bold  in  design,  and  interesting 
as  the  eonneeting  link  between  the  geometrical  patterns  of 
retieella  and  the  elaborate  floriated  patterns  of  the  later 
Venetian  points. 


Venetian  Point  (punto  a  rilicvo  a  fiorami)       Seventeenth  Century 


Bold  and  strong  in  design,  and  of  great  delicacy  of 
execution. 


260 


WESTERN   ART 


I'oinf 
(punto  a  roscllina) 
About  1700  A.  D. 


French  Point 
Eighteenth  Century 


KUROl'l.AN 


26l 


Chalice  TV/7,  or  Corfxirale,  of  Bobbin  Luce       Seventeenth  Century 

In  each  corner  a  double-headed  eagle  with  a  crown ;  in 
the  middle  of  one  side  the  Host,  supported  by  cherubim ; 
opposite,  St.  Symphorian,  bearing  a  martyr's  palm  and  led 
by  his  mother.  Balancing  these  on  the  other  sides  are 
St.  Francis  of  Assisi  with  the  stigmata,  and  two  birds,  and 
St.  Tillo,  with  an  abbot's  staff  and  chalice,  and  two  crowned 
lions.  Scrolls  fill  the  intervening  places.  This  piece  inav 
possibly  have  been  made  in  Flanders  by  Spanish  nuns. 
This  would  account  for  the  technique,  which  resembles  the 
work  of  both  Milan  and  Flanders,  and  for  the  choice  of 
saints  and  motifs. 


WI.SIT.IIX    ART 


French 


Century 


Fragment  of  the  border  of  a  tapestry.  Figure  of  a 
mail  partly  dressed  in  heliotrope  cloth,  seated  and  play- 
ing a  pipe;  t\vo  birds,  flowers,  and  fruits.  The  cream- 
colored  ground  is  entirely  of  silk.  The  design,  largely 
of  silk,  is  in  flesh  colors,  cherry,  heliotrope,  greens, 
and  cream  shading  into  brown.  This  is  a  good  example 
of  the  delicacy  of  the  Krencli  coloring  and  ot  the  fine- 
ness of  the  work  done  in  that  country  in  the  eighteenth 
century. 


'inulx  in  H  OOa 

and  Stucco, 

Gilded 


EUROPEAN 

In     the     eigh- 
leenth  century  the 

French  were  the 
leaders  in  matters 
of  good  taste  and 
elegance;  French 
furniture,  French 
interior  decora- 
tion, as  well  as 
French  manners, 
set  the  standard 
for  Europe. 

There  are  in 
the  Museum 
eight  large  deco- 
rative panels  of 
the  eighteenth 
century  which 
have  designs  of 
great  delicacy. 

The  figure  on 
01  ie  of  the  two  here 
shown  is  remi- 
niscent of  Jean 
Goujon  and  the 
French  Renais- 
sance. The  pan- 
els should  be 
compared  with 
the  old  gilt  frames 
of  the  same  pe- 
riod around  the 
paintings  by 
Boucher  in  the 
Picture  Gallery. 


late  Eighteenth 
Century 


264 


WESTERN  ART 


Tllll     Mllfiif     Ll'KKOIt 


alioitt  1",(JO 


This  Chelsea  group,  modelled  by  Roubillac  after  Wat- 
teau's  picture,  "L'agreable  lecon,"  is  typical  of  that  phase 
of  eighteenth-century  taste  which  amused  itself  by  playing 
at  shepherd  and  shepherdess  and  was  much  given  to 
sentiment. 

While  Chelsea  groups  are  made  of  artificial  porcelain, 
the  contemporary  German  figurines,  also  well  represented 
in  the  Museum,  are  of  true  porcelain,  which  was  first  made 
in  Europe  at  Meissen  in  the  eighteenth  century. 


EUROPEAN 


265 


ll'edyicood   Blue  Jasper  Ware 


Late   Eighteenth  Century 


In  Jasper  ware,  the  most  beautiful  of  the  Wedgwood  pro- 
ductions, white  cameos  are  placed  upon  a  colored  ground. 
Jasper  ware  of  the  best  period  (1786-1795)  is  recognized 
by  its  fine  grain,  even  surface,  and  satiny  feeling.  The 
white  reliefs  are  sharply  mod- 
elled and  are  highly  polished. 
The  body  color  is  either  lilac, 
pink,  sa»;e  green,  yellow, 
black,  or  some  tone  of  blue. 
All  the  different  varieties 
may  be  seen  in  the  Museum 
collection,  which  contains 
also  numerous  smaller  ob- 
jects in  Jasper  ware,  such 
as  snuff  boxes,  jewelry,  etc., 
and  a  series  of  contempo- 
rary portraits,  one  of  which,  ^ 
the  astronomer  Sir  William 
Herschel,  is  pictured  here. 

Wedgwood  Plaque 
Green  Jasper  Ware 


266 


WI.STKKX   ART 


The  art  of 
the  black-  § 
smith     in 
the    Middle 
Ages     was 
more    a  d-  fl 
vanced    in 
France  than  |« 
in  any  other 
country    of 
Furope,     and 
the  most  inter-    x 
esting  ivinains  of  ^ 
that    period    are 
hinges  which   at   first    \ 
consisted    of  a    simple 
*trap,  but   later   became 
very  elaborate  and  covered    \ 
the  greater  part  of  the  door, 
often  serving  as  a  kind  of  armor 
against  robbers.      The  magnin-'^H 
cent  hinges  on  the  doors  of  Notre   \ 
Dame  in  1'aris  are  early  thirteenth- 
century  work  and  show  tlie  skill  at-    x 
tained  by  the  French  smiths  in  stamping    ' 
the  designs  on  the  iron  with  metal  dies. 
Of  this  same  period,  but 
less  elaborate,  is  the  grille 
surmounting  the  tomb  of 
Queen  Eleanor  in  West- 
minster Abbey. 

Fine  grdles  of  riveted 

quatrefoils  wen-  made  in  Italy  ;  but  ironwork  was  a  later 
development  in  Germany,  inspired  by  French  exam- 
ples; while  the  Flemish  in  the  fifteenth  century  became 
noted  for  their  tall  iron  spires,  which  are  still  seen  on 
the  Cathedrals  of  Antwerp,  Ghent,  and  Bruges. 


(\nnJ1e  Jj racket 
lull  rltt<-i<l  ScroUttHUl  Li-<n->.t 

I-' n<l r<i rid  and  t.'ililnl 

^Inxt r'nni,  i'.i/tht,,iitli  (\ntury 

lioss  i'ol/trtioll 


EUROPEAN  267 


AMBER 

Amber  is  the  fossil  gum  of  a  tree  which  is  found  em- 
bedded in  lignite  (a  coal  of  later  formation  than  anthra- 
cite or  bituminous),  or  washed  up  on  the  shores  of  the 
Baltic  Sea,  in  Sicily.  Burma,  Nant  uckrt,  and  other  parts 
of  the  world.  The  Baltic  umber  is  of  a  brilliant  translu- 
cent orange  color  or  of  an  opaque  yellow,  which  darkens 
greatly  with  age,  but  the  Sicilian  specimens  show  a 
wonderful  range  of  color  from  pale  yellow  through  red 
to  dark  green,  and  occasionally  a  piece  is  found  with 
bluish  reflections  in  it.  From  Burma  conies  a  dark 
opaque  brown  variety  with  gold  Hecks,  and  our  Nan- 
tucket  amber  is  also  opaque,  mottled  cream  and  light 
brown  tones,  with  none  of  the  beauty  of  the  others. 

Amber  has  been  considered  as  a  gem  from  the  earliest 
times,  and  many  ancient  writers  mention  it  in  their 
works.  Carved  specimens  and  beads  have  been  found 
in  Italy  dating  from  the  Etruscan  period,  and  from  the 
fifteenth  century  it  was  used  for  statuettes,  reliquaries, 
chess  and  checker  boards,  rosaries,  etc.  The  Buffum 
Collection  is  unique  in  America,  but  in  Europe  fine 
specimens  can  be  seen  in  the  Bargello,  Florence;  the 
Kaiser  Friedrich  Museum,  Berlin;  in  the  Munich  and 
Nuremberg  Museums. 


268 


WKSTKRN    ART 

' 


Crucifix  and   base  ot   Sicilian  amber  with   hyures  of 
Christ  and  two  Saints  in  opaque  German  amber.     Sev- 
enteenth century  work.     Buffum  Collection. 


EUROPEAN 


269 


Silver  by  Paid  Revere 


Boston,  1799 


American  Colonial  silver,  simple  in  design  and  substan- 
tial in  weight,  isdistinguished  by  purity  of  form,  line, and  pro- 
portion rather  than  by  rich  ornamentation  or  careful  detail. 
As  was  natural,  the  designs  resemble  contemporary  English 
pieces,  but  the  men  who  fashioned  them  were  Americans, 
often  influential  citizens  and  holding  positions  of  public 
trust.  John  Hull,  one  of  the  earliest  silversmiths  in  New 
England,  was  made  Master  of  the  Mint  at  Boston  in  1652, 
and  was  allowed  to  keep  one  in  every  twenty  of  the  pine  tree 
shillings  which  he  coined.  The  silversmiths  were  also  the 
earliest  American  engravers. 

The  silver  from  the  workshop  of  Paul  Revere  is  not  only 
beautiful  in  itself,  but  much  of  it  is  of  historic  interest. 
The  teapot  and  sugar  bowl  illustrated  above  each  have 
the  following  inscription:  "To  Edmund  Hartt  Con- 
structor of  the  Frigate  BOHTOX.  Presented  by  a  number 
of  his  J'elloic  citizens,  <is  a  memorial  of  their  sense  of 
his  Ability,  Zeal  &  Fidelity  in  the  completion  of  tliat 
Ornament 'of  the  AMERICAN  NAVY.  1799." 


2  70  WESTERN    ART 


Ceres  Marble,  by  Auguste  Rodin,  b.  ISlfl 


EUROPEAN  2/1 

BOOKS  OK   RKFERKNCE 
Many  of  these  are  in  the  Museum  Library. 

Armor. —  Denimm.  Anns  and  Armor:  Lakinj*,  Windsor 
Castle  Collection  of  Armor:  ('iit<i/<>i/nr  of  I  In  Royal  Armory. 
Mm/rill;  Ani/iras  Collection,  I'iinna  (see  the  Conmotugur  for 
February  and  Mareh,  l!»0t);  Cataloijue.  of  tin'  >'/>//:*</•  (',,//,,-- 
fion.  >  vols. ;  Arnn-ria  .ln/i<'<i  e  Mod<  run  di  N  M  II  Re  d'  Italia 
in  Torino.  M  vols. 

Ilindini/s  dm/  .!/>'>'.  -  lliirliii <il on  Fine  Arts  C/nti  Catalogue. 
K.rhihition  of  Jilndhii/s,  /X'//.'  Humphreys,  llhuninati'il  Honks 
of  the  Middle  Ayes:  Portfolio  IS'.ni,  Royal  f-'ni/lix/t  Ilookbind- 
iiiifx;  Hradley,  Illuminated  MSS. 

l-'rcli'.tlnsf leal  Art.  -  Liibke,  Ecclesiastical  Art  in  <!irmany 
ilx rin ij  the  Mitlil/i'  A<IIH:  Pu^in.  Glossary  of  i^-i-li'tiiantii-al  Or- 
iiniiii'ii/ ;  SiifHmg,  f^iii/lluli  C/inrrli  Hrti.isf.t. 

Flint  if  n  ri\  —  HbmtoeheTa  ('olli-rtion  of  rnniilnri.  1  vols.; 
Litdifield,  History  of  l-Jnrnit an  . 

UlaaK  ami  Ilinunil. —  Dillon.  Clanx;  Hartshorne,  Old  Kmjlixh 
d'liitis;  Mi)linier.  lilrfioHiinlri'  ilix  l-'niiiilhiira;  liiir/liii/ton  Fine 
J/V.v  Clnl)  ('afnloifiii',  K.i-liilii/inii  of  Kurii/H-mi  I'.iKiniilx.  1897. 

Faux.    Clocks,     Watche$,    etc. — Smith,    Jewellery; 
.    /mi.'.    .1,  in  Ili-ry   ami    Faux    (special    number);    Jones, 
Ring  Lori';  Britten.  Old  Cloi-ks  and  Watches;  Catalogue 
of  tin'  Walker  Collection  of  Fan*.  /.v.s'A 

Pottery  and  J'ori'i-laiii.  Solon.  Art  Stonnrare  of  the  Low 
Countries  and  Germany:  I'lnnsijlrania  Mnsunii  llainlhooks; 
Chaffers.  Marks  and  MonOfframi  on  I'ottiry  and  Porcelain; 
Solon,  History  of  Old  Fn<//i*li  /'orn  lain. 

Mi  dais  and   BrO*Z6t.       Fabriexy.    Italian    Mi  dais;   Molinier. 

liroir.itt  di>  la  Renoistanct. 

Silrer  and  I'urtu-.  —  ChafTers.  Hall  Marks  on  Plate;  Buck, 
Old  Plate;  Rosenberg,  her  (,'ohlftcliinifdf  Mrrkzeirhen :  Museum 
of  Fine  Arts.  American  Siln  r.  /.'"•''<';  Museum  of  Fine  Arts, 
American  Clmrcli  Silrer.  I'.i 1 1 :  Jones,  Morgan  Collection,  Wintl- 
Kor  Castle  Collect  Ion.  'I'oin  -/•  nf  London  Collectio)!.  Czar  of  Russia's 
Collection;  Cripps.  Old  French  Plate;  Howard,  Old  London 
Sllci  r;  Masse,  Pewter  Plate;  Gale,  Pewter  and  the  Amateur 
Collector. 

Misci I/unions.—  Ferrari,  77  legno  nelV  Arte  FtaUana;  Ferrari, 
//  fi-rrn  in  I/'  Art i  llaliana ;  Mns/e  dis  Arts  Decoratifs,  Le  Bols 
and  Le  Metal,  3  vols.;  Buffum,  Amber  as  a  Gem;  Fairbairn's 
Books  of  Crests;  Holden.  Primer  of  Hi  raid ry  for  Americans ; 
British  Museum  i'afaloijue  of  Early  Christian  Antiquities;  La- 
barte,  Arts  of  the  Middle  Ayes;  Balcarres,  Krolntion  of  Italian 
Sculpture;  Williams,  Arts  and  Crafts  of  Older  Spain,  3  vols. 


CHINESE  AND  JAPANESE  ART 


CHINESE 

STONE    | JAPA»£SEO  IDEALISTIC'   P/MTIHS    r  ROTUNDA    . 
CULPTURE!  |  |  T  1 


MAIN  FLOOR 


GROUND  FLOOR 
(7  <Sf  J  indicates  the  office  of  the  Department 


CHINESE    AND    JAPANESE    ART  2/5 


CHINESE  AND   JAPANESE   ART 

ONE  unfamiliar  with  the  art  of  the  extreme 
Orient  is  likely,  when  first  brought  face  to  face 
with  the  work  of  some  Chinese  or  Japanese 
master,  to  find  but  little  that  appeals  deeply  to  him. 
He  will  recognize,  perhaps,  a  certain  charm  of  line, 
color,  or  composition,  little  dreaming  that  what  is 
before  him  may  be  a  subtle  exposition  of  cosmic  philos- 
ophy wherein  every  detail  is  full  of  significance;  for 
the  art  of  the  East  delights  rather  in  suggesting  the 
inner  spirit  of  things  than  in  reproducing  their  mere 
outward  forms. 

Even  as  the  pictured  antagonism  between  the  tiger 
and  the  dragon  represents  the  Taoist  conception  of 
the  eternal  struggle  between  matter  and  spirit,  or  as 
the  great  circle,  wherein  sits  the  immovable  figure  of 
Dai-Nichi,  teaches  the  Buddhist  doctrine  of  all-con- 
taining Oneness,  so  the  simple  ink  sketch  of  a  sprig  of 
bamboo,  by  some  Zen  monk,  implied  the  equal  impor- 
tance of  least  and  greatest  in  the  infinite  rhythm  of 
the  Universe. 

Again,  so  different  from  ours  are  the  conventions  of 
the  Oriental  artist  that  the  "queerness"  of  every  tiling 
at  first  overshadows  all  else.  Yet,  if  the  beholder  is 
not  too  young,  he  may  remember  how  in  the  days 
before  the  development  of  instantaneous  photography 
people  laughed  at  the  "impossible"  attitudes  assumed 
by  the  pictured  steeds  of  China  and  Japan,  while  they 
themselves  represented  the  galloping  horse  as  poised 
above  the  ground,  with  legs  stiffly  stretched  behind 
and  before.  A  spirit  of  reflection  once  aroused,  further 


276  CHINESE    AND    JAPANESE    ART 

comparisons  \vill  suggest  themselves,  and,  as  the  first 
effect  of  strangeness  begins  to  wear  off,  the  inquirer 
•will  find  himself  discovering  so  many  new  terms  of 
truth  that  before  long  he  will  wonder  whether  after 
all  his  own  art  is  so  immeasurably  superior  to  that 
before  him. 

Every  mode  of  art  is  the  result  of  civilization  influ- 
enced by  the  peculiar  genius  of  a  people.  In  the  light 
of  modern  research  it  seems  possible  that  the  earliest 
high  state  of  civilization  and  consequent  art  expression 
was  developed  among  those  nations  living  in  the  region 
east  of  what  is  now  known  as  Asia  Minor,  whence  the 
impulse  spread  in  different  directions  to  meet  with 
special  modes  of  refinement  in  Egypt,  Greece,  Meso- 
potamia, India,  and  China,  from  the  latter  of  which 
countries  it  found  its  way  to  Korea  and  Japan. 

During  the  early  centuries  of  the  Christian  era  there 
was  constant  intercourse  between  India  and  China  along 
the  great  caravan  routes  of  Central  Asia,  and  thus  the 
teachings  of  Gautama  found  their  way  to  China  and 
inspired  the  philosophy  of  the  latter  country  with  the 
religious  fervor  of  the  former.  From  this  combination 
was  developed  in  the  T'ang  Dynasty  (A.D.  618-907) 
an  art  equalling  that  of  the  early  Italian  Renaissance 
in  its  spirit  of  adoration,  but  one  in  which  the  naive 
rendering  of  a  few  subjects  was  replaced  by  the  pre- 
sentment of  philosophic  conceptions  whose  least  detail 
was  full  of  symbolic  meaning. 

This  was  the  golden  age  of  Chinese  art  and  literature 
culminating  in  the  exquisite  refinement  of  the  Sung 
Dynasty,  A.D.  960-1280.  The  very  splendor  of  Sung, 
however,  proved  fatal.  The  cupidity  of  chose  same 
wild  Mongol  tribes,  who  were  soon  to  trample  the 
ancient  glory  of  India  beneath  the  hoofs  of  their  shaggy 
steeds,  became  excited,  and  by  the  beginning  of  the 
thirteenth  century  China  lay  writhing  beneath  a  con- 
queror's heel.  Thenceforth,  save  for  a  temporary 


CHINESE    AND    JAPANESE  ART  2/7 

revival  during  the  Native  Ming  Dynasty,  1368— 1<>H-, 
at  which  time  and  during  the  first  part  of  the  following 
Ch'ing  Dynasty  the  art  of  decorating  porcelain  reached 
perhaps  its  greatest  perfection,  the  glory  of  China  has 
been  to  a  large  extent  a  glory  of  the  past. 

An  agricultural  people,  living  in  a  once  highly  fertile 
land,  the  Chinese  have  from  time  immemorial  been 
subject  to  raids  from  the  fierce  nomad  tribes  inhabiting 
the  great  steppes  to  the  North.  The  conquerors  gen- 
erally settled  down  after  their  victories,  and  gradually 
became  assimilated  to  the  manners  and  customs  of 
their  more  civilized  subjects  only  to  be  in  their  turn 
overwhelmed  by  a  fresh  inroad  from  the  North.  The 
vicissitudes  attendant  on  these  invasions,  together  with 
the  damage  done  by  numerous  great  floods,  have  left 
but  few  examples  of  the  early  art  of  China,  mostly 
bronxe  vessels  and  ceremonial  jade  implements,  which, 
buried  with  the  dead,  have  remained  protected  by  the 
earth  till  dug  up  by  some  later  generation.  The  early 
bronzes,  some  of  them  perhaps  dating  back  two  thou- 
sand years  before  Christ,  are  generally  of  massive  and 
dignified  form,  decorated  in  moulded  relief  with  dragon 
monsters  and  conventional  cloud,  and  other  forms. 
Other  vessels  are  themselves  fashioned  in  the  forms  of 
animals  or  birds  (see  plate,  p.  33S).  The  early  jade 
and  other  stone  objects  which  have  come  down  to  us 
are  also  nearly  all  of  ceremonial  quality,  many  of  the 
pieces  reproducing  the  form  of  agricultural  or  warlike 
implements,  as  well  as  mystic  emblems  connected  with 
the  worship  of  nature  (see  plate,  p.  336). 

The  grave  pottery  of  the  Han  Dynasty  (206  B.  C.~ 
221  A.  D.)  seems  generally  to  follow  in  style  bronze 
forms;  its  decoration  becomes  less  conventional  and 
abounds  in  hunting  scenes  among  the  mountains,  etc. 
It  is  covered  with  a  dark  green  glaze  reminiscent  of 
the  patina  induced  on  bronze  by  the  action  of  copper 
salts  (see  plate,  p.  3u). 


2/8  CHINESE    AND    JAPANESE    ART 

From  the  fourth  century  A.  D.  forward  Buddhism, 
which  since  about  the  beginning  of  the  Christian  era 
had  been  slowly  filtering  into  China  from  the  Indian 
frontier,  became  a  living  influence,  and  a  new  school  of 
art  was  developed  at  the  hands  of  those  artists  and 
artisans  who  followed  in  the  steps  of  the  Indian  apostles 
to  furnish  and  adorn  the  newly-erected  temples.  This 
Indian  art,  revelling  in  brilliant  color  and  voluptuous 
lines,  received  later  at  the  hands  of  the  more  restrained 
Chinese  a  dignity  and  impressiveness  which  it  had 
hitherto  lacked,  and  so  evolved  an  ideal  type  compa- 
rable with,  though  differing  from,  that  of  Greece  during 
her  period  of  highest  achievement  (see  plates,  pp.  291 
and  305).  At  this  time  communication  between  Persia 
and  China  over  the  great  trade  routes  of  the  North 
became  intimate,  and  much  of  Persian  influence  became 
apparent  in  Chinese  decoration* 

Every  fresh  impulse  of  Chinese  thought  or  expression 
found  its  echo  on  the  shores  of  Japan,  there  to  receive 
the  subtle  refinement  of  native  genius  and  to  be  pre- 
served long  after  its  memory  had  perished  in  the  land 
of  its  birth.  Thus  the  earlier  art  history  of  both 
countries  may  best  be  studied  side  by  side. 

Buddhism  first  reached  Japan  at  the  beginning  of 
the  so-called  Suiko  period,  550-700,  and  the  sculpture 
of  this  era  follows  the  style  of  contemporary  Chinese 
Art,  being  of  a  decidedly  Indian  type  modified  by 
Chinese  ideas.  Soon,  however,  the  innate  Japanese 
love  of  beauty  became  dissatisfied  with  purely  abstract 
representations  and  began  to  soften  the  rigidity  of 
outline  and  to  add  a  certain  character  of  tenderness 
peculiar  to  the  national  consciousness. 

The  following  Nara  period,  700-800,  witnessed  in 
Japan,  as  in  China,  the  production  of  a  vast  amount  of 
sculpture,  including  the  great  seated  bronze  Buddha 
of  Todaiji,  fifty-four  feet  in  height,  in  which  the  be- 
lievers sought,  according  to  the  then  prevalent  trend 


CHINESE    AND    JAPANESE    ART  2/9 

of  thought  throughout  the  Buddhist  world,  to  embody 
an  idea  of  the  supreme  unity  of  the  cosmos  in  colossal 
and  calmly  meditating  representations  of  the  Blessed 
One." 

The  development  of  the  idea  of  union  between  spirit 
and  matter  led,  during  the  Jogan  period,  791-900, 
to  the  representation  of  different  attributes  of  the  all- 
producing  Godhead  as  separate  emanations.  Thus  was 
created  a  pantheon  of  symbolical  conceptions,  which, 
by  their  nearer  approach  to  human  kind,  gained  in 
vigor  while  losing  some  of  the  solemnity  of  the  earlier 
works. 

In  the  Fujiwara  period,  900-1  IPO,  Japan,  having 
assimilated  the  teachings  of  the  continent,  began  to 
evolve  an  art  and  culture  more  nationally  distinctive. 
With  a  return  to  ancient  modes  of  thought,  including 
the  idealization  of  womanhood,  the  gods  became  almost 
maternal,  and,  in  their  infinite  mercy  and  compassion, 
granted  salvation  to  even  the  weakest.  The  paintings 
and  sculpture  of  this  period  are  characterised  by  great 
delicacy  of  line  and  color,  accompanied  by  the  lavish 
use  of  gold  as  representing  the  yellow  light  of  Paradise. 
Such  conceptions,  however,  sapped  the  virility  of  the 
court,  with  the  result  that  the  effeminate  nobility  left 
the  enforcement,  of  authority  throughout  the  country 
to  despised  provincial  governors.  The  governors,  pro- 
totypes of  the  daimyo  of  a  succeeding  age,  soon  usurped 
all  power,  and  through  their  mutual  jealousies  and 
struggles  almost  brought  about  a  condition  of  anarchy. 
Out  of  this  turmoil  arose  the  commanding  figure  of 
Minamoto  Yoritomo,  who,  aided  by  his  chivalrous 
brother  Yoshitsune,  sei/ed  the  chief  power,  under  the 
title  of  Shogun,  "great  general,''  and  in  1190  fixed 
his  capital  at  Kamakura. 

During  the  T'ang  (A.  D.  Gl 8-907)  and  Sung 
(960-1 280)  Dynasties,  Taoist  and  Neo-Confucian  ten- 
dencies of  thought  had  brought  to  the  fore  in  China 


280  CHINESE    AND    JAPANESE    ART 

the  Zen  sect  of  Buddhism,  which,  discarding  ritual, 
sought  salvation  through  self-concentration  and  medi- 
tation. This  school  endeavored  to  establish  direct 
communion  with  the  inner  spirit  of  things,  regardless 
of  their  external  accessories,  and  deemed  the  least 
atom  as  equal  in  importance  to  the  greatest  god  in 
the  cosmic  unity,  a  conception  which  had  a  vast  effect 
on  contemporary  art  and  gave  birth  to  those  simple 
ink  sketches  whose  slightest  stroke  is  replete  with 
meaning.  This  was  the  great  era  of  landscape  paint- 
ing, which  no  longer  remained  subsidiary  to  some  figure 
or  incident  portrayed,  but  became  an  end  in  itself  and 
produced  those  delightful  and  poetic  sketches  in  which 
the  Sung  masters,  true  impressionists,  give  us  the  echo 
of  a  distant  temple  bell  or  the  soft  hush  that  comes 
before  the  snow  (see  plates,  pp.  311  and  812). 

During  the  wars  which  in  Japan  ushered  in  the 
Kamakura  epoch,  1190-1337,  there  was  developed  a 
spirit  of  individualism  and  hero-worship  which,  together 
with  the  introduction  of  Zen  modes  of  thought  and  the 
establishment  of  a  system  of  military  feudalism,  had  a 
great  effect  upon  contem|M>rary  art.  This  was  the 
great  age  of  portraiture  both  in  sculpture  and  painting, 
when  even  the  gods  assumed  more  individualized  char- 
acteristics, and  artists  delighted  in  representing  the 
stress  of  battle  and  the  achievements  of  famous  war- 
riors and  saints  (see  plates,  pp.  296  and  313).  To 
overawe  the  populace,  we  now  first  find  paintings  of 
the  horrors  of  hell,  executed  with  the  same  strength 
of  delineation  and  vigorous  spirit  of  action  which 
characterizes  the  other  work  of  this  period. 

Owing  to  the  steady  growth  of  Zenism,  with  its 
subjective  idealism  and  search  after  the  inner  spirit  of 
things,  the  Ashikaga  period,  1337~1582,  is  marked  by 
the  general  elimination  of  color  and  detail  from  paint- 
ing. The  great  Ashikaga  masters,  like  Sesshu  and  his 
illustrious  host  of  followers,  in  their  enthusiasm  for 


CHINESE    AND    JAPANESE    ART  281 

simplicity,  preferred  the  natural  beauties  of  a  bird  or 
a.  flower  to  those  of  subjects  more  overlaid  by  circum- 
stance (see  plate,  p.  ,Slf>).  From  now  on  painting 
truly  becomes  writing  (the  Japanese  use  the  same  word 
for  the  two  arts),  and  a  pictured  scene  becomes  rather 
an  essay  or  poem  than  a  representation.  The  search 
for  hidden  beauty  in  all  things  caused  even  the  great- 
est artists  of  this  period  eagerly  to  apply  their  genius 
to  the  design  and  decoration  of  the  humblest  household 
utensils.  In  carrying  out  the  idea  of  hidden  beauty, 
they  often  concealed  their  finest  work  beneath  a  com- 
paratively plain  exterior,  a  practice  which  has  to  some 
extent  survived  till  the  present  day. 

The  feudal  barons  of  the  Ashikaga  period  were  con- 
stantly warring  one  with  another,  each  striving  to 
obtain  supreme  control  of  the  government.  Out  of 
this  state  of  chaos  arose  the  figure  of  Toyotomi  Hide- 
yoshi,  a  man  of  the  humblest  origin,  who,  by  his 
Napoleonic  genius,  became  in  1582  virtual  ruler  over 
a  unified  Japan.  Like  most  parvenus,  he  and  his  en- 
nobled generals  sought  in  their  palaces  for  gorgeous 
effects,  often  replacing  the  sober  refinement  of  the 
Ashikaga  decoration  by  a  wealth  of  gold  and  brilliant 
color.  In  conformance  with  the  taste  of  his  patrons, 
Eitoku  and  his  army  of  pupils  studied  the  models 
brought  back  by  Hideyoshi's  generals  on  their  return 
from  Korea,  and  upon  their  own  native  golden  screens 
enthusiastically  produced  gorgeous  palace  scenes  after 
the  fashion  of  the  Ming  Academy,  bountiful  of  color 
and  exuberant  of  spirit  (see  plate,  p.  320). 

Affected  by  the  spirit  of  the  times,  Koetsu  (d.  163?) 
and  his  great  followers,  Sotatsu  (middle  seventeenth 
century)  and  Korin  (d.  1716),  established  the  school 
commonly  known  as  that  of  Korin.  This  school  sought 
to  combine  the  rich  coloring  of  pre- Ashikaga  days  with 
the  bold  treatment  of  the  Zen  school,  and,  anticipating 
the  French  impressionists  by  two  centuries,  depended 


282  CHINESE    AND    JAPANESE    ART 

for  its  effects  rather  on  broad  masses  of  color  than  on 
line  (see  plate,  p.  3^23). 

After  the  death  of  Hideyoshi,  lyeyasu,  the  greatest 
of  the  daimios,  founded  the  Tokugawa  Shogunate, 
and  through  his  Machiavellian  skill  in  statecraft  insti- 
tuted a  complicated  system  of  control  which  enabled 
his  descendants  peacefully  to  retain  the  Shogunaie 
until  the  Restoration  of  1868. 

Under  the  encouragement  of  lyeyasu  and  his  imme- 
diate successors,  Kano  Tanyu  and  his  followers  endeav- 
ored to  return  to  the  purity  of  the  Ashikaga  masters, 
but  with  only  partial  success,  for  the  spirit  of  the  times 
was  against  them,  and  the  new  nobility  and  rising 
middle  class  demanded  something  more  decorative  and 
easily  understood  than  the  spiritual  concepts  of  Zen 
philosophy.  In  response  to  this  demand  there  arose 
a  more  democratic  school,  and  Sanraku  (1559-1686), 
gifted  successor  of  Eitoku,  Itcho  (1651-1724),  and 
many  another  skilled  painter  employed  their  brushes 
in  depicting  popular  festivals  and  other  everyday  inci- 
dents, thus  preparing  the  way  for  the  Ukiyo-e,  or 
school  of  common  life. 

After  centuries,  during  which  the  various  great  feudal 
princes  had  been  almost  constantly  at  war  with  each 
other,  came  the  long  Tokugawa  peace  "  and  the  rise 
of  the  commons  to  positions  of  wealth  and  ease.  These 
people  demanded  an  art  which  they  could  understand, 
and  in  response  to  their  call  many  Kano  and  other 
artists  began  depicting  the  popular  festivals  and  cus- 
toms of  the  day  with  all  the  technical  skill  and  tradi- 
tion of  their  art  heritage  (see  plate,  p.  'i-JS).  In 
connection  with  this  movement  the  art  of  printing 
in  colors  from  wooden  blocks  was  brought  to  a  high 
state  of  perfection,  but  as  later  artists  of  the  school, 
with  a  few  notable  exceptions,  in  accordance  with  the 
popular  demand,  turned  their  attention  for  the  most 
part  to  the  portrayal  of  popular  actors  and  beauties  of 


CHINESE    AND    JAPANESE  ART  283 

the  Yoshiwara,  their  work  narrowed  and  finally  came 
to  an  end  amid  the  general  upheaval  attendant  on  the 
Restoration  of  18u\S. 

In  the  middle  of  the  eighteenth  century  there  arose 
in  Kyoto  a  realistic  school,  which  owed  its  inspiration 
partly  to  the  inception  of  a  similar  movement  in  China 
and  partly  to  a  direct  study  of  European  models. 
I  nder  such  masters  as  Okyo,  17.'W~1795,  and  Ganku, 
1 7  MI -1838,  this  school  produced  many  delicate  and 
graceful  compositions,  which,  however,  sometimes 
lacked  the  conviction  inherent  in  the  works  of  the 
Abhikaga  and  Toyotomi  masters  (see  plate,  p.  3"24). 

Amid  the  turmoil  of  the  Restoration  of  18G8  and 
the  subsequent  indiscriminate  enthusiasm  for  every- 
thing Occidental,  Japan  for  a  while  regarded  her 
native  art  and  its  ideals  as  necessarily  inferior  to  those 
of  the  countries  whose  scientific  and  mechanical  tri- 
umphs she  so  greatly  admired.  Gradually  however, 
after  a  more  intimate  acquaintance  with  the  West,  the 
people  of  Japan  are  beginning  to  realize  that  in  some 
respects  their  own  ancient  civilization  by  no  means 
suffers  in  comparison  with  that  of  Europe  and  America, 
and  many  artists,  adopting  from  foreign  practice  such 
aids  as  seem  to  them  desirable,  are  again  seeking 
inspiration  from  the  ideals  of  their  own  eai-ly  masters. 

F."  G.  C. 


Bibliography.  —  W.  Anderson,  I>escriptire  and  Historical 
(\itnlogiie  <>f  a  Collection  of  Japanese,  and  Chinese  Paintings 
in  the  liriti.ih  Museum,  London,  1886;  H.  A.  Giles,  Introduc- 
tion in  the  History  of  Chinese  Pictorial  Art,  Shanghai,  1905  ; 
K.  V.  Strange,  JMMMM  I II  nut  rat  ion.  History  of  the.  Arts  of 
Wood-Carving  and  Colour  Printing  in  Japan.  London,  1897, 
and  ilioMMMMM  Colour  Prints.  London,  1904;  W.  von  Seidlitz, 
QttckiekU  di-s  .Ifipaiii.ti-ht  n  l-'arl>i-iiliolis<-hnitt.t.  Dresden,  1897 
(English  translation,  London,  1910);  the  Catalogues  of  the 
l-'.i-/iifiifioii.i  of  Japanese  Prints  htld  at  the  Muse.e  des  Arts 
I  >>'<•<>  rat  if s.  Paris.  1J»0».  1910,  1911;  S.  W.  Bushell,  Chinese 
Art,  2  vols.,  London,  1904;  L.  Binyon,  Painting  in  the  Far 


284  CHINESE  AND  JAPANESE  ART 

East,  London,  1908;  A.  Morrison,  The  Painters  of  Japan, 
2  vols. ;  E.  Fenollosa,  Epochs  of  Chinese  and  Japanese  Art, 
New  York  (n.  d, );  O.  Kiimmel,  KmutftiPirbe  in  Japan, 
Berlin,  1911;  M.  A.  Stein,  Ancient  Khutan,  "2  vols.,  Oxford, 
1907;  E.  Chavannes,  La  Sculpture  snr  Pierre  en  Chine,  Paris, 
1893;  Mission  Archeologique  dans  la  Chine  Septentionale,  Paris, 
1909-13;  Havell,  Indian  Sculpture  and  Painting,  London, 
1908,  and  The  Ideals  of  Indian  Art;  B.  Laufer,  Chinese  Pottery 
of  the  Han  Dynasty,  Leiden,  1909,  Jade,  A  Study  in  Chinese 
Archaeology  and  Religion,  Chicago,  1912;  Illustrated  Cata- 
logue of  Early  Chinese  Pottery  and  Porcelain,  Burlington  Fine 
Arts  Club,  1910;  Japanese  Te-mples  and  Their  Treasures,  Tokyo, 
1910;  and  Histoire  de  L'  Art  du  Japon,  Paris,  1900;  Okakuru- 
Kakuzo,  Ideals  of  the  East  with  Especial  Reference  to  the  Art 
of  Japan,  second  edition,  New  York,  1904,  and  Hie  Book  of 
Tea,  New  York,  1906;  M.  Anesaki,  Buddhist  Art  in  It  a  Relation 
to  Buddhist  Ideals;  Ars  Asiatica:  Etudes  et  documents  pnl>lies 
sous  la  direction  de  Victor  Goloubew,  Paris,  1912-14;  A.  Brock- 
haus,  Netsuke,  Versucheiner  Oeschichle  derjapanischen  Schnitz- 
kunst  (second  edition),  Leipzig,  1909;  L.  Binyon,  Painting  in 
the  Far  East,  London,  1913. 


CHINESE  AND  JAPANESE  ART  285 


SCULPTURE 

The  earliest  examples  of  Chinese  stone  sculpture  known 
to  us  date  from  the  Han  period,  B.  C.  206-A.  D.  221. 
They  are,  for  the  most  part,  in  the  form  of  thickish 
slabs  of  gray  limestone  decorated  on  one  side  with 
chiselled  drawings  of  semi-legendary  scenes,  and  were 
used  as  sheathing  for  the  small  anti-vaults  and  more 
imposing  pillars  built  to  mark  the  graves  of  important 
people.  Of  these  slabs  the  Museum  possesses  several 
specimens  which  may  be  attributed  to  the  second  cen- 
tury of  our  era.  The  designs  they  bear  are  executed 
in  broad  outline,  with  so  little  suggestion  of  relief 
modelling  that  they  seem  to  be  more  nearly  related  to 
painting  than  to  sculpture.  They  are,  moreover,  char- 
acteristically Chinese  —  quite  unaffected,  apparently, 
either  in  motive  or  in  technique,  by  the  religious  ideas 
and  arts  which  had  found  their  way  from  Buddhist 
India  to  China  at  least  one  hundred  years  before  the 
date  assumed  for  these  slabs.  Three  centuries  later, 
however,  the  influence  of  Buddhism  was  already  widely 
disseminated  among  the  Chinese,  and  was  everywhere 
stimulating  the  production  of  monumental  sculpture 
in  the  round  —  a  form  of  artistic  expression  for  which 
the  Chinese  seem  never  before  to  have  felt  any 
great  need. 

In  the  Museum's  numerous  collection  of  Buddhist 
and  Taoist  sculpture  this  striking  development  of 
what  was  practically  a  new  art  in  China  may  be  ade- 
quately followed  throughout  the  period  of  its  greatest 
activity, — from  the  fifth  to  the  ninth  century, — 
special  attention  being  merited  by  the  two  heroic 
figures  of  Kuan  Yin  (one  seated,  the  other  standing) 
and  the  smaller  marble  statue  of  a  Bodhisattva,  — 


286  CHINESE  AND  JAPANESE  ART 

each  one  typiral  of  an  important  phase  in  this  brilliant 
evolution. 

As  examples  of  early  Japanese  sculpture  there  is  a 
rather  primitive  but  interesting  wooden  figure  of  Kwan- 
non,  probably  of  the  early  Tempyo  period  (7'-'!>  ?!»S) 
and  a  magnificent  heroic  Bodhisattva  of  the  late  Tempyo 
period,  carved  —  with  the  exception  of  the  arms,  which 
are  a  later  restoration — from  a  single  block  of  wood. 
This  figure  follows  T'ang  ideals,  but  with  a  certain 
softening  of  line  and  nearer  approach  to  humanity 
peculiar  to  all  Japanese  translations  from  the  Chinese. 
Another  very  fine  example  of  the  work  of  this  period  is 
a  little  bron/e  statue  of  a  standing  Kwannon  in  which 
dignity  and  tenderness  are  wonderfully  combined,  while 
the  following  Jogan  period  (794-900)  is  represented  by 
a  number  of  specimens,  among  which  is  a  classically 
Chinese  wooden  figure  of  Taishaku-ten  (the  gift  of  a 
member  of  the  Department)  once  completely  overlaid 
with  a  brilliant  decoration  of  mitsudaso,"  a  mixture 
of  oil,  pigment,  and  white  lead,  of  which  traces  re- 
main on  the  face,  hands,  and  a  few  small  portions  of 
the  robe. 

Among  the  Fujiwara  pieces  (900-1  1 92)  is  a  Dai-Itoku 
of  the  tenth  century,  whose  triple  head  shows  wonder- 
ful modelling,  and  a  large  Amida,  whose  calm,  dispas- 
sionate serenity  well  expresses  the  trend  of  religious 
thought  at  that  period. 

Among  a  number  of  Kamakura  (l  193—  139^)  pieces 
are  two  small  figures  of  monks  whose  individuality 
stands  forth  strongly,  and  a  dated  (l322)  Ji/o,  which 
well  shows  the  closer  approach,  in  this  period  of  indi- 
vidualism and  hero  worship,  of  divine  types  toward 
those  of  humanity. 

In  the  Ashikaga  (1393-1578)  and  Tokugawa  (l<>03- 
1868)  periods  representations  of  the  gods  became 
highly  formalixed,  while  the  development  of  the 
iVo-drama,  in  which  ancient  heroes  and  semi-mythical 


CHINESE  AND   JAPANESE  ART  287 

characters  related  their  philosophic  and  temporal 
adventures,  called  forth  a  school  of  mask  carvers, 
perhaps  the  greatest  ever  known  in  the  world's  his- 
tory, of  whose  work  the  Museum  possesses  some  fine 
specimens.  J.  E.  L. 


288 


CHINESE  AND  JAPANESE  ART 


CHINESE  SCULPTURE 


289 


Kuan   Yin,  Deity  of  Compassion 
Chinese,  Early  Fifth  Century  Height,  1.965  m. 

Given  by  Dr.  Denman  W.  Ross  in  memory  of 
Okakura-Kakuzo,  late  Curator  of  Chinese  and  Japanese 
Art  at  the  Museum. 


2QO  CHINESE  AND   JAPANESE  ART 


Yin,    /''//>/  <>f 
Chinese,  L<i1<  Si.r/li  >,r  l-'.urlij  S/  r»  »tlt  <  '<  ntiinj       lit  i</hf,  2.4'JO  m. 


Accession  by  purchase.     1915. 


JAPANESE  SCULPTURE  2QI 


Marble  Evdhisatlva      Chinese,  Seventh  Century 
Excavated  in  Shensi.      Accession  by  purchase.      1907. 


292  CHINESE    AND    JAPANESE    ART 


Japanese  Wooden  Rtatit-e  of  h'trmnion 
Tempyo  Period,  A.D.  700-SOO 


JAPANESE    SCULPTURE 


293 


Bronze  Kirattnon,  Japanese,  Tempi/it  Period,  700-800 

Kicd/ition,  spiritual  son  of  Amida,  the  compassionate 
Bodhisattva  whose  tender  pity  towards  all  creation 
forbids  his  entering  Nirvana  until  the  utmost  atom  in 
the  universe  shall  have  gone  before.  Although  gener- 
ally represented,  especially  in  later  art,  as  feminine  in 
aspect,  Kwannon  was  originally  conceived  as  a  youth 
approaching  manhood. 


2Q4  CHINESE    AND    JAPANESE    ART 


l><ii-ll»kii,    \\'<>n<l,ii  Sculpture.  Japanese,  'I'm/li  C,ntury 
l',rin<l,  'JOO-1190 


Dai-Itoku,  one  of  the  five  Myoico,   or  protectors  of 
the  people. 


JAPANESE    SCULPTURE 


295 


I'ndo 
l-u'l'nntni  I'rrioil.  Tirt-lflli  Coitury 


The    deity    \\  ho,    rising    IVoin    tin-    clt-aiising   flame, 
cleaves  through   evil  anil    hinds  desire. 


296 


CHINESE    AND    JAPANESE    ART 


Sheuhi,  Wooden  Sculpture  (detail),  lute  Thirteenth  Century 
Kamakura  Period,  1190-1337 

The  Bodhisattva,  spiritual  son  of  Amida,  is  repre- 
sented as  paying  reverence  to  a  soul  newly  arrived  in 
paradise. 


JAPANESE    SCULPTURE 


297 


.   Woixlm  Sculpture,  bearing  iJate  1822 
Kaiiutkuni  1'eriod,  1190-1337 


The  merciful  Bodhisattva,  who  travels  through  the 
worlds  saving  souls.  In  his  right  hand  he  holds  the 
staff  whose  jangling  rings  warn  all  minute  creatures 
from  beneath  his  feet.  In  his  left  hand  is  the  jewel 
of  life. 


CHINESE    AND    JAPANESE    ART 


ii 

*mf 


A   I'nt  r'nircli  «f  tin'  llnxan  S,  <•/ 
II 'i-nt/tii  Si-iil j/t are,  h'tniitikiii-ti  I'tr'niil.  ././'.  / 1'.>0~1337 


JAPAN KSK    MASKS 


299 


A  Hoy 

Japanese,  "No"  mask,  signed  Sukemitsu.  Early  eigh- 
teenth century. 

The  "No"  is  a  semi-religious  opera  dealing  with 
historical  and  legendary  incidents  through  a  Buddhist 
interpretation. 


The  Spirit  of  the  Pine  Tree 


Japanese,  "No"  mask.  Japanese,  "No"  mask. 

Middle    of    the    sixteenth      Early  sixteenth  century, 
century. 


300  CHINESE    AND    JAPANESE    ART 

PAINTING 

Some  twenty-five  years  ago,  at  a  time  when  the 
Japanese  were  ready,  in  their  enthusiasm  for  Western 
civilization  and  methods,  to  cast  aside  many  of  their 
artistic  heirlooms,  the  late  Prof.  E.  F.  Fenollosa 
and  Dr.  W.  S.  Bigelow,  at  that  time  residing  in 
Japan,  with  wise  foresight  sei/ed  the  opportunity  be- 
fore them  and  began  the  two  great  collections  of 
kakemono,  rolls  and  screens,  which  now  form  the 
backbone  of  the  Museum  Collection. 

The  late  Dr.  Charles  G.  Weld,  who  purchased  the 
Fenollosa  Collection  and  kept  it  at  the  Museum,  at  his 
death  bequeathed  the  same  to  it,  together  with  a  mag- 
nificent collection  of  swords,  lacquer,  etc.,  which  he 
had  himself  accumulated,  and  at  the  same  time  Dr. 
Bigelow  presented  his  entire-  collections  to  the  Mu- 
seum. Although  through  the  generosity  of  Dr.  Ross 
and  other  benefactors  of  the  Museum  the  Department 
of  Chinese  and  Japanese  Art  has  been  enabled  to  add 
many  precious  examples  of  the  great  period  of  Chinese 
and  Japanese  painting  to  those  which  it  already  had  in 
its  keeping,  it  would  have  been  utterly  impossible  for 
it  ever  to  have  reached  its  present  quality  and  size 
without  the  aid  of  those  two  early  collections,  made  at 
a  time  when  it  was  possible  to  purchase  works  which, 
if  to-day  in  Japan,  would  either  be  registered  as 
"National  Treasures,"  and  so  unattainable,  or,  if 
privately  owned,  would  be  held  at  prohibitive  prices. 
At  the  present  writing  the  Museum  possesses  of 
Chinese  paintings : 

T'ang  Dynasty 0 

Sung  69 

Yuan  21 

Ming  74 

Ch'ing  45 

Total  of  Chinese  paintings 215 


PAINTING  301 

Sino  Tibetan  paintings : 

Yuan  Dynasty  6 

Ming  42 

nt   '•  " 

Ch  ing  .    .  9 

Total  of  Sino  Tibetan  paintings         •          57 

Korean  paintings : 

Chosen  21 

Japanese  paintings : 

Fujiwara  Buddhist ....       g 

Kamakura  132 

Romantic 2 

Ashikaga  Buddhist 118 

Idealistic 91 

Romantic  5 

Kano  866 

Post  Ashikaga  Idealistic 299 

<  <  <  < 

Buddhist 43 

Tosa  110 

^oetsu 40 

t'kiyo-e       884 

Bunjin          56 

Nagasaki 106 

Dutch  11 

Kyoto  639 

Mixed  65 

Miscellaneous 2 

Modern  32 

Total  of  Japanese  paintings  •     •     •        3,503 
Grand  total  .     .        3,796 


1  Including  Sotatsu,  Korin,  and  Hoitsu. 

The  above,  which  is  the  exhibition  list,  includes  two 
hundred  and  forty-nine  six-fold  screens.  Copies,  etc., 
of  which  there  are  about  seven  hundred,  are  not  in- 
cluded. 


302  CHINESE  AND  JAPANESE   ART 

The  oldest  and  one  of  the  most  beautiful  and  inter- 
esting pieces  in  tlir  collection  is  a  Hokke  Mandara, 
representing  the  Buddha  seated  upon  the  "  Kagle 
Peak  "  in  the  midst  of  an  attendant  concourse  of 
Bodhisattva  and  Kakan,  to  whom  he  expounds  the 
Mahayana  principle.  Although  much  of  the  back- 
ground and  lower  part  of  the  picture  has  been  de- 
stroyed, one  finds  in  the  figure  of  the  Blessed  One  " 
and  his  attendants  the  same  calm  sublimity  of  spirit 
and  exquisite  feeling  for  line  which  mark  our  famous 
marble  torso  of  Kwannon,  but  in  this  case  with  the 
added  glory  of  that  color  which  the  latter  has  lost, 
while  a  close  study  of  the  background  yields  us  con- 
siderable insight  to  a  feature  of  T'ang  painting  hitherto 
little  known. 

The  celebrated  album  of  Yuan  Yuan,  a  scholar  and 
expert  of  the  eighteenth  century,  which  has  recently 
come  into  our  possession,  contains  a  number  of  little 
Tang  and  Sung  paintings  of  exquisite  quality,  while 
in  the  roll  of  the  Emperor  Hui  Tsung  we  have  a 
wonderfully  preserved  example  of  the  delicate  drawing 
and  fascinating  color  of  a  great  artist  following,  accord- 
ing to  tradition,  the  work  of  a  Tang  master.  Besides 
the  ten  paintings  of  the  Daitokuji  Kakan  set  we  have 
a  complete  set  of  sixteen  Rakans  by  Lu  Hsin-chung 
( Rikushinchu),  with  the  artist's  signature  in  small 
characters  upon  the  trunk  of  a  pine  tree  in  one  of 
them. 

Among  the  Sino  and  Nepali-Tibetan  paintings  we 
have,  one  of  them  a  Shaka,  five  pieces  from  a  very  fine 
and  rare  Yuan  set  of  Rakans,  taken  from  the  Iwunascry 
of  the  summer  palace  at  its  sacking  in  IStJO,  while  of 
the  Ming  Academicians  we  have  a  number  of  notable 
examples,  including  a  long  roll  "Spring  Festival,'' 
attributed  to  Ch'iu  Ying,  a  fine  mountain  landscape  by 
Lan  Ying,  and  a  deliciously  delicate  Harp  Player  in 
a  Pavilion  ' '  by  Ch'iu  Ying. 


PAINTING  3^3 

The  eight  Fujiwara  Buddhist  paintings  in  the 
Japanese  Collection  arc  all  of  high  quality,  especially, 
perhaps,  the  great  tenth  century  Bishamon  Mandara, 
with  its  wonderful  sweep  of  line  and  eolor,  surely  the 
original  composition  of  a  great  master,  while  among 
the  one  hundred  and  thirty-three  Buddhist  paintings 
of  the  Kamakura  period  it  would  be  strange  indeed  if 
there  were  not  some  of  the  highest  order,  full  of  the 
vigor  and  stern  individualism  of  that  warlike  era.  Of 
the  Kamakura  Romantic  school  \\  e  have  a  fragment 
from  the  famous  Jigoku  Zoshi  or  Hell  scenes  and  one 
of  the  three  famous  rolls,  formerly  attributed  to  Sumi- 
yoshi  Keion,  which  hold  first  rank  among  the  battle 
pictures  of  Japan. 

Among  the  one  hundred  and  eleven  Ashikaga  Bud- 
dhist paintings  are  many  rich  pieces,  but  the  greatest 
talent  of  the  day  followed  the  triumphant  march  of 
/en  thought,  and  expressed  itself  mostly  in  the  strong 
black  and  white  impressionism  of  Sesshu  and  his  noble 
following.  Among  the  eighty-eight  screens  and  paint- 
ings of  this  era  in  the  Museum  may  be  mentioned  a 
Josetsu  landscape  from  the  Kobori  Knshu  Collection,  a 
pair  of  monkey  and  bird  screens  painted  by  Sesshu  at 
the  age  of  seventy-two  years,  and  a  pair  of  monkey 
screens  formerly  attributed  to  Sesson,  but  now  proved 
to  be  part  of  the  same  set  of  which  the  Miyoshinji 
Temple  possesses  two  examples  mounted  as  kakemono 
and  known  to  be  the  work  of  Tohaku. 

Of  the  1'ost  Ashikaga  Idealistic  and  early  Kano 
schools  we  have  fine  specimens  of  nearly  all  the  great 
masters,  together  with  several  splendid  pairs  of  golden 
flower  screens  by  Sotatsu,  the  far-famed  wave  screen" 
of  Korin,  and  other  smaller  paintings  by  these  artists 
and  their  followers.  The  long  Tokugawra  Peace," 
1603-1868,  witnessed  a  period  of  luxury  during  which 
the  Kano  Academy,  the  latter  Tosa  school,  Kyoto 
Naturalists,  the  new  Ukiyo-e  school,  and  others,  vied 


304  CHINESE    AND    JAPANESE    ART 

with  each  other  in  the  quality  and  quantity  of  their 
artistic  output,  fine  specimens  of  which,  by  the  best 
masters  of  the  day,  may  be  freely  found  among  the 
many  pieces  in  the  Museum. 

Owing  to  the  great  si/e  of  the  collection,  even  with 
greatly  added  facilities  for  exhibition,  the  Department 
will  never  be  able  to  put  before  the  public  at  any  one 
time  more  than  a  very  small  proportion  of  its  treasures  ; 
it  will,  however,  be  always  ready  to  receive  visitors  at 
its  executive  office,  and  to  sho\v  them,  under  such 
regulations  as  are  necessary,  any  further  paintings 
which  they  may  desire  to  see.  F.  G.  C. 


CHINESE    PAINTING 


305 


Bodhutattra,  detail  from  Unlike  MtUtdam 


Painting  in  full  color  on  silk,  probably  Chinese  of 
T'ang  Dynasty,  A.  D.  618-907. 


CHINESE    AND    JAPANESE    ART 


Chinese  Buddhist  Painting 


Late  Sung  Period,  960-1280 


One  of  five  Rakan,  or  saints,  manifesting  himself  as 
the  Eleven-headed  Kw.nmion.  This  painting  in  full 
color  on  silk  is  one  of  one  hundred  pieces  formerly  in  the 
possession  of  Daitokuji  Temple,  Kyoto,  five  of  them 
signed  by  Chou  Chi-chang  (Shukijo)  and  Lin  Ting- 
kuei  (Rinteikei),  late  twelfth  century.  The  Must-urn 
possesses  ten  of  the  set. 


CHINESE    PAINTING 


3O/ 


Cliiinsr  ll/n/illiixt  I'ninfliiif  f<ii  Lit  /f.vlii-i'liiiiitf  (  Rik 
l']<\ rly  Thirteenth  Century 

A  Rakan  beside  u  lotus  pond,  sitting  in  contempla- 
tion beneath  a  willow  tree.  One  of  a  set  of  sixteen, 
in  full  color  on  silk. 


308  CHINESE    AND    JAPANESE    ART 


inkn,  full  i-nlnf  mi  c<nii-(i.i       Sino-Tibetan,  Fourteenth  Century 
The  Museum  possesses  five  of  this  set. 


CHINESE    PAINTING 


309 


]>ni  Xirh'i,  full  color  on  silk 
Japanese,  Fujiwara  Period        Late  Eleventh  Century 


CHINKSK    AND    JAPANESE    ART 


Detail  from  M<iki»imi<>  '•  I'n  /><i  >•/'////  UK-  AYir  Silk " 


Chinese,  painted  by  tlie  Kniperor  ilui  TSUII<J,  e;irly 
t \velftli  eeiitury.  S;iid  to  li:i\c  been  after  tlie  \vc.rk  of 
a  T'aiig  master.  Full  color  on  silk. 


CHINESE    PAINTING 


311 


312  CHINESE    AND    JAPANESE    ART 


/-    I 


\\"uiti  r  L(in<lm'itjw  attributed  to  Fan  Kn'nn 
Chinese,  early  Sung,  Tenth  Century 


JAPANESE  PAINTING 


313 


as    « 

~^    — 


!*  a 


• 


8  § 


s     ~ 

b      s 


C    0. 

'3  D 

—  'I 


(H 


314  CHINESE    AND    JAPANESE    ART 


Waterfall       Widdh  of  the  Ming  Period,  136S-1644 


CHINESE    PA  I  XT  INC. 


315 


FtitJi.     Ink  PnhitiiHj  on  Silk 

Chinese.     Early  Mint/  l>y>i<ixttf,  136S-1644 

Attributed  to  Lai  An 


316  CHINESE    AND    JAPANESE    ART 

r'l 


«*-    to 

°J 


>'       c 


C 
S 

— 


. 
•—     f. 

G 

x 


JAPANKSE   PAINTING 


3' 


"*n. 


LaMtcofM  Axhihii'in  Period,  133 

Painting  on  paper  in  ink,  with  slight  color.   School  of 
Motonobu,  1477-1559. 


CIIINr.SK   AND    .1 A  I' \\KSK   ART 


I'nlrtm  (m  a  Hock    Avhikaijd  1'i'rind,  1.1. 17 

In  monochrome,  on  paper,  by  Kaihoku-Yusho,  1532- 
1615. 


JAPANESE    TAINTING 


3'9 


j 

I 

o 


I 


o 
<u 
d 

O 


320 


CHINESE    AND    JAPANESE    ART 


i 

o 


JAPANESE    PAINTINC, 


\2\ 


322 


CHINESE    AND    JAPANESE    ART 


r 


JAPANESE    PAINTING 


323 


324 


CHINESE    AND    JAPANESE    ART 


Wlilte  Monkeys  Okyo,  1733-1705 

Light  color  on  silk. 


JAPANESE    PAINTING 


325 


I'm  l'"mrt          Sekool  of  Sofkutki,   l-'iifiifi-i'ii/h  C'entury 
,/•/-»/.  It;n.;-i868 


Full    color    on    silk,    probably    by    Soshiseki's    son 
Soshi/an,    1732-1805. 


326  CHINESE    AND    JAPANESE    ART 

' 


Deer 


Tukmjawu  I'criod,  1603-1S6S 


Painted  by  Ganku,  1749-1838,  who  founded  the  Kishi 
School.    In  monochrome,  on  silk ;  slight  suggestion  of  color. 


JAPAN1.SK    PAINTING 


327 


Cormorant  Xixliiijn/nn  Hit-fit 

Middle  .\!n- '"  ntli  Century 


328  CHINESE   AND   JAPANESE   ART 


The  Tlinilr,'  i,L'l,,',l  from  Screen) 

Late  Seventeenth 


1  llsliiknu;,  M,,r<n,«l,ii 


JAPANKSK  PAINTING 


329 


Japanese  Print  (hand  rolori'd)  by  Ku\ngetsudo 
Eighteenth  Century 


330  CHINESE    AND    JAPANESE    ART 


THE  MINOR  ARTS 

In  China  and  Japan,  as  elsewhere,  the  minor  and 
applied  arts  echo  the  aims  and  ideals  expressed  in 
sculpture  and  painting,  and  quite  as  definitely  show 
their  derivation  and  inter-relation.  Thus  the  surface 
of  a  sword  guard  may  remind  us  of  the  Zen  tenet  that 
the  least  atom  is  of  cosmic  importance,  and  the  carving 
of  a  netsuke  emphasize  the  debt  —  honorably  acknowl- 
edged and  nobly  acquitted  —  which  the  Japanese  owe 
to  the  older  life  of  China. 

The  oldest  remains  of  Chinese  civilization  which  we 
know  are  bronzes  and  jades.  They  are  vessels,  coins, 
and  implements  of  various  kinds,  which  have  lasted 
partly  because  of  the  durable  material  of  which  they 
are  made,  partly  because  since  prehistoric  times  the 
Chinese  have  regarded  them  as  precious.  The  Museum 
collection  of  bronzes  carries  us  very  far  back  into  the 
life  of  the  Chinese,  and  illustrates  the  beauty  of  the 
forms  and  designs  which  the  Chinese  so  loved  that  they 
echoed  and  re-echoed  them  through  succeeding  ages 
of  development.  Together  with  such  jades  as  the 
Museum  possesses, —  ceremonial  implements,  insignia 
of  rank,  precious  objects  for  intimate  use, —  they  indi- 
cate a  great  and  established  richness  of  life  in  ancient 
China. 

Bronze  and  pottery  seem  to  be  the  only  productions 
of  the  minor  arts  in  Korea  that  are  worth  while,  and 
in  both  kinds  the  derivation  seems  distinctly  traceable 
to  China.  Only  in  pottery  did  the  Koreans  apparently 
do  anything  remarkably  distinctive ;  they  produced  a 
gray-green  ware  and  a  green-toned  white,  which  show 
a  high  appreciation  for  a  certain  delicate  beauty. 


JAPANESE   PAINTING  331 

Of  the  minor  arts  of  Japan  Avood  and  ivory  carving, 
sword  smithing,  metal  working,  lacquering,  and  pottery 
making  were  developed  to  a  high  degree.  In  all  of 
these  the  Japanese  have  excelled,  though  in  no  other 
directions  have  they  gone  so  far  in  a  way  of  their  own 
as  in  the  making  of  swords  and  sword  furniture  and  in 
the  use  and  adaptation  of  lacquer.  The  prescriptions 
of  the  feudal  system,  the  gradual  formalizing  of  social 
customs,  the  deliberate  withdrawal  from  all  distracting 
alien  influences  fostered  such  a  development,  with  the 
result  that  the  artists  in  metal  and  lacquer  grew  into 
an  understanding  of  their  media  and  a  power  of  handling 
them  within  prescribed  limits  that  produced  works  of 
surpassing  quality.  F.  S.  K. 


332 


CHINESE   AND  JAPANESE   ART 


Bronze  ]>M.      Not  /<(/<  r  Ilinn  /Jn-  7'm/fi  ('nilnnj  II.  < '. 

Probably  "sr«l    in  coiiiu-c-tion  \\iili   sarrific-ial  worship 
of  Heaven. 


(  H1NKSK   BKON/.I. 


333 


Cllilliai    llrnir.i  .    'I 'xii ll 

J.  C.  1000 


iiinxf   llron-1,  Tsiolt 
Circa  B.  C.  1000 


334  CHINESE  AND  JAPANESE  ART 


Chinese  Bronze  Mirror  (reverse  side) 

The  design  is  an  arrangement  in  concentric  spaces 
about  the  large  knob,  of  leaf-like  ornaments,  nipples,  the 
seven  divine  figures,  birds,  fishes,  and  beasts.  The  cast- 
ing is  remarkable ;  it  was  probably  done  at  the  shang-fang, 
the  imperial  foundry,  in  the  Han  Dynasty  (206  B.C.- 
221  A.D.). 


CHINESE   BRONZE 


Chinese,  Rronze,  JI:;i,  iri/h  hisrrip/inn  (jiritifj  Sale,  A .  J). 


T'ang  Mirror. 
The  large  central 
design  sliows  two 
phoenixes  on 
clouds  symmetri- 
cally placed,  and 
two  ornaments  as 
settings  for  char- 
acters which  read 

one  thousand 
autumns"  and 
signify  longevity. 
The  border  shows 
conventional 
clouds,  lotus 
sprays,  and  four 

jewels." 


Bronze  Mirror  (reverse  side) 
Chinese,  T'ang  Dynasty 


336 


CHINKSK    AND   .IAPANKSK    AUT 


Jnili   1'i,  nn  i  inlli  in  of  nmk <inil  symlol  »f  lime,  i 
Circa  B.  C.  -'<»> 


SWORD   FURNITURE 


337 


338 


CHINESE  AND  JAPANESE  ART 


Sword  Guard  (Iron) 

Mloclilii  Sti/lf 
Late  Eighteenth  Century 


Sironl  Guard  (iron) 
Si>/iit(l  Mynrhin  Miincyoshl 


Design  of  fireflies 
and  grasses  in  sha- 
kudo  (a  composi- 
tion of  gold  and 
copper),  copper, 
and  gold,  on  iron, 
by  Itsuriuken  Mi- 
boku,  a  celebrated 
artist  of  the  Nara 
School,  1695-1769. 

Design   of   stone 
lanterns    in    silver, 
shibuichi  (composi- 
tion of  silver  and  copper),  and  gold,  on  shakudo,  by  At- 
suoki,  who  worked  in  Kyoto  about  1840-1860.     Otsuki 
school. 


Japanese  Sword  Furniture,  Kozuka  Hilts 


Japanese  Gold  Lacquer  Ink-box  in  Shape  of  Fan 
Probably  by  a  Kyoto  Artist  Late  Eighteenth  Century 


340 


CHINKSK    AND   JAI'ANKSK    AKT 


Japanese  Lacquer  Inrn  (Mi »//>///,   /Jo.o.v 
from  Ihf,  (,'inlle 


'  Hill  ll 


Inro.      Rice-boats  floating  ,„,  tin-  water.     Applied  lead 
and  mother-of-pearl.      Signed  Koma-Kwansai.      Prob- 
ably the  second  Kwansai,  early  nineteenth  century. 
^  Black  lacquer,  with  porcelain  toys  applied.      Signed 

Haritsu,  eighty-four  years  old,"  KKJ4.-17  17. 

Crows  in  autumn  forest.  Signed  Kajikawa.  Prob- 
ably the  second  Kajikawa,  about  the  middle  of  the 
seventeenth  century. 


CHINESE   POTTI.KY 


341 


Cli!in:-i    I'nf /ii't/.       Jinn   I>i/ii<ifiti/.    .'in!  11.  (',-.'.'11  ./.  />. 
'.'/•«//  <//«r.»  .-  un  tin   1-1,1;  /•  i//v  llniitiini  S,;,,,.-,- 
Mmtntninx 


Pottt-ry  may  hr  idciitiiird  as  having  a  more  or  It  ss 
Ixxly,  opaque,  and  xaryinjr  from  soft  friability 
to  the  hardness  of  porcelain.  In  China,  as  in  many 
other  countries,  it  was  made  before  the  dawn  of  history. 
The  practice  of  jjla/inj;  it,  and  thus  rendering  it  imper- 
\ious  to  water,  dates  in  China  as  far  back,  probably, 
as  the  second  century  B.  C.  So  far  as  we  know,  the 
first  glaze  used  by  Chinese  potters  was  thin  and  green, 
and  the  clay  invested  with  this  glaze  was  generally 
reddish  in  color.  During  the  following  twelve  centu- 
ries Chinese  potters  gradually  refined  the  clay  and 


342  CHINESE   AND  JAPANESE   ART 

invented  new  glazes, —  white,  blue,  and  green,  in 
various  tones,  black,  and  celadon, —  until,  in  the  Sung 
Dynasty,  their  wares  reached  great  fineness  and  beauty 
of  form  and  glaze. 

From  a  time  long  before  the  use  of  glaze  Chinese 
pottery  has  been  decorated  with  designs  modelled  in 
low  relief  or  incised  in  the  clay.  In  the  Sung  Dynasty 
the  potters  began  to  use  over-glaze  decoration;  but  so 
far  as  extant  examples  may  serve  to  guide  us,  the  beauty 
of  Chinese  pottery  remained,  through  this  and  the  two 
succeeding  dynasties,  in  the  form,  in  the  incised  or 
modelled  decoration,  and  in  the  glaze. 


.•:.:  •••:••• .  .  •    ._,..,.-:-::^ 

Cliiiirxe  I'otfi-ry  Vram-l  from  n  <  I  rare 
Six  Dynast  leg 


CHINESE   POTTERY 


343 


Hurst-,  ;//ir.n/  I'uttr.ry,   Tang  /tynasty 


Chinese  Pottery  Jar,  Tang  Dynasty 


344 


CHINKSK    AM)   .1  A  I'  \\KSK    ART 


The  jar  on  the  previous  page  is  an  early  example  of 
pottery  made  for  domestic,  not  burial,  purposes.  The 
beautiful  incised  decoration  is  distinctively  T'an<£.  The 
potting  and  the  glazing  show  the  hi»'h  decree  of  skill 
attained  by  Chinese  potters  a  thousand  years  a<jo. 


Camel,  glnzrtl  7W/r/v/, 


7>>/>nis/i/ 


Figures  of  men  and  animals,  and  models  of  houses, 
utensils,  and  the  like,  ha\  e  been  buried  with  the  Chinese 
dead  apparently  since  early  in  the  Han  Dynasty,  1J.  C. 
206-A.  D.  220.  The  horse  and  the  camel  illustrated 
are  made  of  very  soft,  white  clay  moulded  in  several 
parts,  which  were  originally  held  together  by  slip  and 
the  glaze.  They  are  fine  examples  of  the  best  work 
of  this  kind  from  the  T'ang  Dynasty,  018-907  A.  D 

F.  S.   K. 


<  IIINKSK    I'Olil  KI.AIN 


<  '//'/'//./  hi/misty 
CIIINKSK    I'OIMT.I.MN 

Porcelain  — the  hard,  translucent ,  thoroughly  vitrified 
wan was  first  made  in  China.  For  centuries  its  pat- 
terns and  colors  influenced  the  pot  lery  ot'bot  h  F.u  rope  and 
Western  Asia,  hut  not  until  the  eighteenth  century  was  it 
successfully  imitated  in  Europe.  It  is  said  that  the  first 
porcelain  was  produced  in  the  effort  of  the  potters  to 
imitate  the  appearance  of  jade,  which  is  so  "'really  ad- 
mired by  the  Chinese.  Many  literary  references  testify 
to  the  beauty  of  the  early  porcelain,  but  few  if  any  ex- 
isting specimens  go  back  airther  1  han  the  Ming  Dynasty, 
l.'ltiS  hill-.  The  history  of  Chinese  porcelain  is  the 
history  of  the  Imperial  factory  at  Ching-le-chen,  rebuilt 
in  I  ,'itJ!)  by  the  founder  of  the  Ming  Dynasty.  Its  period 
of  greatest  splendor  was  within  the  reign  of  the  Kmperor 
K'ang  Hsi,  lt)(i"J  17--,  when  the  earlier  porcelain 
gla/es  and  designs  were  reproduced  and  new  ones  in- 
vented. The  brilliant  colors  and  bold  decora!  ion  of  this 
period  were  refined  and  weakened  within  the  following 
century,  and  in  part  supplanted  by  a  naturalistic  floral 
decoration  with  carefully  finished  details  in  over-gla/e 
pigment  and  enamels.  Since  the  eighteenth  century 
the  art  of  porcelain-making  has  lost  its  high  distinction. 

F.  S.  K. 


346  CHINESE  AND  JAPANESE  ART 


Chinese  Porcelain  Ming  Dynasty,  1368-1662 

In  the  Museum  collection  may  be  found  many  examples 
of  porcelain  glazed  in  single  colors,  varieties  of  blue  and 
white,  pure  white,  porcelain  with  colors  under  the  glaze,  or 
with  painting  over  the  glaze ;  in  all  a  body  of  rich  material 
for  the  study  of  the  art.  A  jar  of  the  seventeenth 
century,  illustrated  on  this  page,  shows  a  five-clawed 
imperial  dragon  rising  from  the  waves  into  the  clouds 
in  pursuit  of  the  flaming  jewel  of  omnipotence.  The 
design  is  in  white  with  engraved  details  under  the 
glaze,  reserved  against  a  ground  of  dark  blue. 


CHINESE   PORCELAIN 


347 


Chinese  Porcelain  Vase,  Height  30  in. 
K'ang  Hsi  Period  (1662-1722) 


348 


CHINKSK  AND  JAPANKSK  ART 


w 


liim-fif  Tiifii'tifry  .It' nif  / ',ini  .1.  /». 

of  a  larger  |IK •(•<•  i.f  t  lie  early  Miu«r  Dynasty. 


MORSE   COLLKCT10N'  349 

THE  MORSE  COLLECTION  OF  J.\i'\\i:si:  POTTKKY 

VAUIOl'S  jH'iiods  are  rceogni/ed  in  the  development 
of  pottery  in  .I;ip;m.  'I'lie  preliislorie  pottery  ex- 
humed in  various  parts  of  the  empire  is  found  in  the 
shell  heaps  seattered  along  the  shores  1'iom  Ve/o  in  the 
north  to  Higo  in  the  extreme  south.  The  pottery  is  usually 
in  fragments,  entire  vessels  l>eing  rare.  It  is  hand-made, 
decoration  either  cord  marked  or  incised  with  curious  vari- 
ations in  form  in  different  localities.  As  the  Ainu  occupied 
the  entire  land  In-fore  the  Japanese,  it  was  naturally  sup- 
posed that  this  early  pottery  was  made  by  the  Ainu,  though 
there  is  no  historic  evidence  that  the  Ainu  ever  made 
pottery.  An  art  of  this  kind  once  acquired  is  never  lost  by 
a  savage  people.  (Kxamples  of  this  prehistoric  jx>ttery 
may  be  found  on  the  two  lower  shelves  in  Case  II.) 

Next  comes  the  carlv  historic  pottery,  lathe-turned,  un- 
pla/.ed  and  identical  in  form  and  purpose  with  Korean 
pottery  of  the  same  |>eriod.  This  pottery  consists  of  mortu- 
ary vessels  and  is  found  in  dolmens  and  mounds.  It  has  an 
age  of  from  twelve  to  fifteen  hundred  years. 

The  first  definite  history  of  the  potter's  art  in  Japan  be- 
gins with  the  work  of  Toshiro  in  Seto  in  the  thirteenth 
century,  though  fragments  of  green-gla/ed  pottery  have 
been  dug  up  in  Omi  to  which  a  famous  expert  ascribed  an 
age  of  nine  hundred  years.  In  the  ancient  storehouse  at 
Xara  a  soft  green-glazed  pottery  is  preserved  which  is 
known  to  IK>  a  thousand  years  old.  This,  however,  is  prob- 
ably Chinese. 

The  formal  ceremonies  associated  with  the  drinking  of 
powdered  tea  exerted  a  lasting  influence  on  the  |>otter's  art 
and  gave  it  that  reserve  and  simplicity  which  is  so  char- 
acteristic of  Japanese  pottery. 

The  collection  of  Japanese  Pottery  is  exhibited  in  the 
room  at  the  left  of  the  entrance  to  the  Museum.  Each 
case  is  numbered  to  facilitate  reference  to  the  plate  in  the 


350  JAPANESE   POTTERY 

catalogue  where  the  objects  are  described.  The  table 
with  the  catalogue  may  be  rolled  from  case  to  case  for 
purposes  of  study.  In  this  collection  is  brought  together 
the  work  of  nearly  every  potter  in  Japan  up  to  within 
thirty  years,  and  the  objects  are  arranged  by  provinces. 

If  one  will  recall  the  pottery  of  the  Baltic  provinces  he  will 
remember  that  little  or  no  distinction  is  seen  in  the  work, 
each  potter  copying  the  forms  and  rude  decorations  of  the 
others.  The  Black  Forest  potters,  covering  a  wide  area, 
again  show  nothing  distinctive  in  their  work.  In  Japan,  on 
the  contrary,  a  local  pride  prompted  the  potter,  the  lac- 
querer,  and  other  artisans  to  produce  something  original 
either  in  form  or  decoration,  so  that  the  provinces  are  dis- 
tinctive, and  the  names  of  the  provinces  are  often  used  in  a 
generic  way  in  designating  the  pottery,  such  as  Satsuma, 
Bizen,  Izumo,  Kaga,  Awaji,  etc.  After  the  provinces  were 
brought  together  under  a  strong  central  government  in 
1868,  provincial  feeling  still  survived,  and  each  province 
prided  itself  on  special  products,  such  as  pottery,  lacquer, 
textile  fabrics,  and  the  like.  The  strongly  marked  differ- 
ences between  the  dominant  pottery  of  certain  provinces 
may  be  seen  by  comparing  the  following  cases:  Hizen,  3, 
4;  Bizen,  5;  Higo,  8;  Nagato,  10;  and  many  others. 

The  Japanese  potter  derived  certain  methods  of  tech- 
nique from  the  Koreans,  and  for  this  reason  a  small  collec- 
tion of  Korean  pottery  has  been  brought  together  in  Case  I. 
The  objects  range  in  age  from  a  thousand  years  and  over  to 
the  present  time.  In  Case  2  is  a  collection  of  early  historic 
and  prehistoric  pottery  of  Japan. 

The  casual  visitor  may  enjoy  the  collection  by  simply 
noticing  the  remarkable  qualities  of  glaze,  the  curious 
motives  of  design,  the  variety  of  form,  and,  above  all,  the 
reserve  and  sobriety  shown  in  the  decorative  treatment. 

For  sources  of  information,  the  work  of  amateur  potters,  motives 
of  decoration,  Korean  influences,  uses  of  objects  and  other  details, 
reference  must  be  made  to  the  illustrated  catalogue  of  the  collection 
published  in  1901. 


MORSE  COLLECTION 


351 


Pottery  of  the  Province  of  Sanuki 
Morse  Collection,  Case  19 


352 


J.M'ANKSK    1'OTTKRY 


Koda  roller i/,  I'rorinre  of  IIi(jo 

A  fine  example  of  Koda  pottery.    Tlir  gla/e  is  gray;  the 
design  incised  and  filled  with  white  clay.    Height,  5  inches. 

Morse  Collection.     Case  8. 


.MOUSE   COLLECTION 


353 


Bottle  Talcafort  I'olicry,  I'rurmrc  of  Chikuzen 

A  good  example  of  the  freedom  of  the  Japanese  potter. 
A  leaf  design  slashed  in  long  strokes.  The  sides  are  in- 
dented for  convenience  of  handling.  Height,  12  inches. 

Morse  Collection.     Case  18. 


COLLECTION    OF    PRINTS 


(Fenway  Entrance) 


(From  the  Huntinjton 
Avenue  linildlny) 

GROUND  I''I<>OK 
Pr  indicates  the  office  of  the  ]>«p,,>-lni,n 


COLLECTION   OK   PRINTS 


357 


The  resources  of  the  collection  of  prints  are  difficult  to 
illustrate,  since  half-tone  reproductions,  while  presenting 
an  apparent  facsimile,  fail  to  rentier  the  subtler  qualities 
which  constitute  the  charm  and  the  value  of  prints.  The 
illustrations  are  given  merely  to  surest  ;l  '('w  "'  *ne  numer- 
ous spheres  of  interest  available. 

The  collection  was  begun  in  1S7-2  by  the  gift  of  one  print. 
To-day  it  holds  a  leading  place  among  print  collections 
in  this  country.  The  volume  of  material  necessary  to  the 
usefulness  of  a  collection  of  this  kind  forms  an  obstacle  to 
its  winning  wide  popular  favor.  Only  a  small  fraction  of 
(lie  eighty  thousand  prints  (approximately)  which  form 
the  collection  can  be  shown  at  any  one  time  in  the 
exhibition  rooms.  The  visitor  to  the  galleries  is  not 
•ware  of  the  great  mass  of  material  in  the  Print  Rooms, 
ready  to  provide  pleasure  and  information. 

A  few  words  concerning  the  range  of  the  collection 
will  not  be  amiss.  If  one  desires  to  hark  back  to  early  days 
of  engraving,  there  is  virile  Mantegna  sketching  on  copper 
his  strong  figures,  instinct  with  dignified  grandeur.  Earlier 
yet  are  the  great  series  of  Sibyls  and  Prophets  and  the 
famous  Tarocchi,  while  the  goldsmith's  niello  impressions 
offer  some  earl J  experiments  in  printingfrom  metal  plates. 
The  Museum  is  fortunate  in  possessing  a  number  of  these 
early  prints.  Turning  to  northern  art,  one  visitor  may 


358  COLLECTION    OF    PRINTS 

prefer  the  spring-like  purity  of  Schongauer's  engravings, 
or  he  may  respond  to  the  power  of  Durer's  expressive, 
forcible  conceptions.  The  vigorous  message  of  early 
German  woodcuts  may  afford  pleasure  to  some,  while 
others  will  prefer  the  bold,  broad  treatment  of  Italian 
chiaroscuro,  suggesting  by  graded  tones  the  varied  effects, 
of  the  painter's  work.  Raphael's  genius  may  be  ap- 
proached through  the  medium  of  his  faithful  engraver, 
Marcantonio.  The  realism  of  seventeenth  century  art 
in  the  Netherlands  offers  an  immense  field  in  etching 
Besides  the  Flemish  engravings  of  Bolswert,  Pontius, 
and  others  of  the  Rubens  school,  there  are  the  por- 
traits in  Van  Dyck's  famous  "iconography,"  there  are 
Cornel  Visscher's  forceful  likenesses  and  DelfTs  plates, 
the  Dutch  peasant  scenes  of  Ostade,  the  cattle  pieces 
of  Paul  Potter,  de  Laer,  Berghem,  Dujardin,  the  landscapes 
of  Ruysdael  and  Waterloo,  and,  above  all,  the  masterly 
plates  of  Rembrandt,  whose  wonderful,  versatile  genius  can- 
not fail  to  awaken  a  deepening  interest.  A  large  collection 
of  Rembrandt's  drawings  in  excellent  reproduction  helps 
to  bring  out  the  unique  powers  of  the  great  Dutch  master. 
In  France  portrait  engraving  reaches  its  highest  perfection 
with  Morin,  Nanteuil,  Edelinck,  and  the  Drevet.  From 
these  beautiful  plates  one  may  turn  with  interest  to  the  Eng- 
lish school  of  mezzotint  engravers,  to  the  portrait  work  of 
Green,  McArdell,  Smith,  Ward,  Watson,  Reynolds,  to  the 
plates  of  Earlom  or  the  stipples  of  Bartolozzi.  Constable's 
realistic  landscapes  are  interpreted  by  the  mezzotints  of 
Lucas.  Again  a  different  mood  will  be  met  by  Canaletto's 
breezy  Italian  landscape  etchings. 

An  unfailing  source  of  delight  is  always  open  to  the 
amateur  of  landscape  art  in  the  wonderful  plates  of 
Turner's  Liber  Studiorum,  England  and  Wales,  and 
other  series.  The  beauty  of  the  French  metropolis 
inspires  Me'ryon's  series  of  Paris  etchings,  and  Whistler  in 
his  Thames  set  has  recorded  the  poetry  of  a  traffic-laden 
river.  Then  there  are  Haden  and  Lalanne,  Klinger  and 


COLLECTION   OF  PRINTS 


359 


Buhot,  Corot,  and  Millet;  there  are  Gaillard's  exquisite 
portraits  as  well  as  the  lithographs  of  Delacroix,  Haffet, 
Daumier,  Gavarui,  Isabey,  Dupre,  and  Bonington. 

The  collection  of  American  prints,  though  rather 
deficient  in  examples  of  early  work,  offers  abundant 
material  for  the  study  of  the  nineteenth  century. 

The  Print  Department  is  also  the  repository  for  the 
collection  of  drawings  (pp.  368-37^). 


tfadonno  <in<l  ( 'liild 
Engraving  by  Andrea  Mantegna,  1431-1506 


36o 


COLLECTION   OF  PRINTS 


Atnmtption  tiffin- 
Flon  iitiiK'   I  '.n  a  ntr'ni  it  ufli  i- 


Early  Italian  engravings  relied  tin-  »lory  and  perfec- 
tion  of  Renaissance  Art.  Although  technically  inferior 
t(»  contcinpuranciius  (i.-nnan  \\..rk,  they  arc  llic  fruits  of 
a  better  tradition  in  art,  and  treat  a  \vider  ranu'c  ofsul)- 
jects.  The  engraven  of  Northern  Italy  were  dominated 
by  the  severe  irrandeur  «»f  Mantenna,  while  tlie  l-'loren- 
tines  show  the  influence  of  Finiiriierra  and  Botticelli. 


COLLECTION  OF   PRINTS 


361 


V 


I>if 


Diirer  is  the  greatest  painter-engraver  of  the  sixteenth 
eentury.  I  lisart,  largely  allusive,  filled  with  t  lion  "lit,  de- 
mands thought  on  the  jiart  of  the  IxOiolder.  Although  able 
to  express  l>eaiitv,  he  generally  sets  it  aside  for  expressive- 
ne>s,  action,  power.  Standing  on  the  threshold  of  modern 
times,  Diirer  links  the  dark  ages  with  our  own.  Ohsrure 
though  his  art  may  be  at  times,  il  always  proves  stimulating. 


362  COLLECTION  OF  PRINTS 


Frans  Snyders  (First  State) 
Etching  by   Van  Dyck,  1599-1641 

For  purity  of  style  Van  Dyck's  portrait  etchings  are 
unrivalled.  They  were  done  in  so  fresh  and  personal  a 
manner  as  to  be  unappreciated  by  his  contemporaries, 
so  that  in  many  cases  formal  backgrounds  and  accesso- 
ries were  added  with  the  burin  by  professional  engravers. 
The  Museum  collection  contains  the  majority  of  his 
portraits,  in  early  states,  before  this  additional  work. 


COLLECTION   OF  PRINTS 


363 


Blind  Tobit 
Etching  by  Rembrandt,  1606-1669 

Amidst  the  vast  number  of  famous  Dutch  artists  stands 
the  mighty  personality  of  Rembrandt.  Be  his  medium  the 
brush,  the  pen,  or  the  etching  needle,  he  infuses  into 
his  art  the  vital,  compelling  force  of  the  thought  which 
animates  him.  He  masters  the  secrets  of  nature  by 
incessant  study  and  keen  observation.  One  of  many 
examples  of  his  powers  is  this  groping  figure  of  Tobit. 


364 


COLLECTION    OK    PRINTS 


J'tirtrilif  of  I'inii/Kiii,   ,1,    Ili-lli!  i- i-r 
I '.mi nii-iii, i  I, if  n,,l,,-rl  \aiil,  nil.   H! .'.!  (.')-/678 

French  en<^ra\  ing  is  seen  to  l>est  advantage  in  the  work 
of  seventeenth-century  m^rnvers.  Amon^  tin-in  none  <|iiite 
equals  the  excellence  of  Kolx-rl  Nauteiiil.  In  his  plates  the 
last  word  of  technical  perfection  is  spoken,  vet  (lie  engrav- 
er's refined  taste  keeps  technique  subservient  to  the  message 
of  his  art. 


COLLECTION    OF  PRINTS 


M.iri/.    />//••/„ 

M>  ~:<>tinf    Ill/iff  tiriitif   In/   .l 
,///</•  Sir  Ji 


/  .///,v,.v/er 

x    \\Hlanii.    17  fit  -  I7'. 

ti    1,'i'i/noltltt 


Mi  //.otiut  was  introduced  into  England  shortly  nfter 
its  invention.  Little  used  at  first,  it  came  into  general 
favor  in  the  eighteenth  century.  Its  delicate  blend- 
ings  and  rich,  soft  shadows  made  it  the  ideal  medium 
for  rendering  the  works  of  the  great  English  portrait 
painters. 


366 


COLLECTION    OF    PRINTS 


• 


Inverary  Pier,  Loch  Fyne,  Morning 
Mezzotint  Engraving  by  J.  M.    W.    Turner,  1775-1851 

Turner  will  always  stand  in  the  forefront  among  land- 
scape engravers.  His  broad  outlook  upon  nature  is  happily 
wedded  to  an  intimate  knowledge  of  the  world,  born  of 
incessant  keen  observation.  In  hundreds  of  masterly  com- 
positions he  speaks  to  us  of  nature  with  irresistible  elo- 
quence. The  "Liber  Studiorum"  reveals  his  command  of 
the  graphic  arts.  Several  plates  of  this  splendid  series, 
the  one  shown  above  for  example,  are  his  own  through- 
out. When  he  left  the  mezzotinting  to  others,  he  usually 
etched  the  outline  himself,  provided  a  wash-drawing  to 
guide  the  engraver,  and  closely  watched  the  progress  of 
the  plate.  He  carries  us  to  the  quiet  dreamy  seashore  in 
the  gloaming,  or  to  the  storm-swept  cliffs  of  the  Yorkshire 
coast.  We  watch  with  him  the  lowering  skies  over  Hind 
Head  Hill  and  the  thundercloud  on  Ben  Arthur.  Wre  see 
the  vine-clad  plains  of  southern  France  and  the  glaciers 
and  peaks  of  Switzerland,  only  to  return  to  the  woodland 
scenes  of  the  Aesacus  or  the  Jason,  and  to  the  silent 
peace  of  lovely  Raglan  Castle. 


COLLECTION   OF  PRINTS 


367 


Cotton   Mather        Peter  2'elham,  16S4(?)-1751 

The  soil  of  New  England  was  not  hospitable  to  the  fine 
arts  in  early  days ;  only  portraiture  was  viewed  without 
disapproval.  At  a  time  when  English  mezzotint  developed 
its  rich  resources  in  portrait  work,  an  English  engraver  of 
merit,  Peter  Pelham,  came  to  try  his  fortunes  in  this  coun- 
try. We  owe  to  him  a  number  of  portraits,  chiefly  clergy- 
men, among  them  the  above  portrait  of  Mather.  The 
revolutionary  period  boasts  of  Charles  Willson  Peale,  by 
far  the  most  gifted  of  early  American  engravers.  After 
the  revolution  came  Edwin,  Durand,  Sartain,  Cheney; 
in  the  late  nineteenth  century  wood  engravers  carried 
their  technique  to  peerless  excellence,  and  etching 
flourished  for  a  brief  period.  All  these  changing  phases 
may  be  followed  in  the  Museum  collection. 

Books  recommended  for  the  study  of  Prints. — A.  M.  Hind, 
A  Short  History  of  Engraving  and  Etching,  Boston,  1908; 
Paul  Kristeller,  Kitpferstich  iind  Holzschnitt  in  vier  Jahrhun- 
derten,  Berlin,  1905;  Emil  H.  Richter,  Prints,  their  Technique 
and  History,  Boston,  1914. 


368 


COLLECTION    OF    PRINTS 


,,    f7'>7~/S.:7 


Creation   of 
Colored  ]>r,i,ri,i;/  Inj    \\'illi«»i 


William  Blake  was  ;i  inyslic,  living  ammitf  visions 
which  lie  attempted  t(»  interpret  in  his  art.  His  pow- 
erful miH-rptiMiis  \\illi  their*  exquisite  coloring  and  thrir 
pcruliaritics  of  form  carry  one  away  fnun  the  realities 


COLLECTION  OF  PRINTS 


369 


A<1um  and  lire  and  the  Antjtl  Raphael 
Colored  Drawing  by    W'dimm  Illake,  1757-1S27 

of  life.  Kve  takes  shape  at  the  Creator's  bidding,  amid 
quiet,  low  shadings  of  gray  and  green.  Again  a  nacreous 
glo\v  of  colors  pervades  the  seated  figure  of  Raphael. 
The  Museum  owns  a  number  of  these  masterly  drawings. 


3/0 


COLLECTION   OF   PRINTS 


~» 


The  <ili  mi,  rn 
f>y  J.   F.  Millet,  1814-1875 


The  life  and  toil  of  the  peasant  forms  the  dominant 
theme  of  Millet's  art.  His  genius  for  terse  expressive- 
ness is  revealed  in  a  score  of  sketches  in  the  collection. 


COLLECTION  OF  PRINTS 


371 


I'ntxiint  vitlt  a    WlinUxirrow 
I>nnrhiff  ly  J.   F.   Millet,  1814-1875 


Close  observation  of  the  interplay  of  muscular  effort 
and  the  force  of  gravitation  is  evident  in  this  drawing, 
which  is  a  preparation  for  the  etching  of  the  same  subject. 


372 


COLLECTION  OF   PRINTS 


Besides  the  Blake  drawings  and  the  sketches  of  Millet, 
the  Museum  owns  a  number  of  drawings  in  charcoal  by 

William  Morris  Hunt,  and  a  miscellaneous  assemblage  of 
sketches  by  various  artists,  among  them  some  examples 
of  the  art  of  Tiepolo.  This  small  collection  of  original 
drawings  is  supplemented  by  numbers  of  excellent 
reproductions  of  the  masterly  drawings  of  Rembrandt, 
Durer,  and  other  famous  artists,  found  in  the  great  col- 
lections of  Europe.  Reproductions  <>t'  Men/el's  works 
and  colored  reproductions  of  sketches  by  Degas  and 
Renouard  are  frequently  consulted  by  visitors. 


Woman  Feeding  Her  Child 

l>i/  J.    F.   Mi  Hit,   lXl.'t-lS75 


LIBRARY 

AND 

COLLECTION   OF   PHOTOGRAPHS 


LIBRARY  377 


LIBRARY 

NOT  until  1  879,  three  years  after  the  opening  of  the 
Museum  in  Copley  Square,  was  a  room  equipped  to 
serve  the  specilic  purposes  of  the  Library,  but  the 
establishment  of  a  special   Library  was  mentioned  in  the 
statement  of  the  objects  of  the   Museum   issued  by  the 
Trustees  upon  their  incorporation  in   1S70,  and  the  con- 
tribution of  one  thousand  dollars  offered  in  1875  for  the 
purchase  of  books  was  the  earliest  gift  of  money  to  the 
Museum  for  any  other  than  its  general  pur|K>ses. 

The  Library  now  possesses  approximately  twenty-five 
thousand  Imoks  and  pamphlets,  including  the  Alfred 
( in  ( nough  collection  (chiefly  books  on  architecture). 
It  aims  to  possess  the  most  authoritative  information  on 
line  and  on  applied  art,  and  to  serve  any  individual  work- 
ing in  those  fields.  The  collection,  includes  museum  cata- 
logues, catalogues  of  private  collections,  biographies  of 
artists,  monographs  on  different  branches  of  art,  and 
large  and  expensive  volumes  of  reproductions.  The 
Library  also  subscribes  to  the  leading  periodicals  of  art. 
The  collection  of  photographs  is  an  important  adjunct  of 
the  Library.  It  was  started  with  ten  volumes  of  "Roman 
photographs "  given  by  George  B.  Emerson ;  these  are  re- 
corded in  the  first  annual  report  (1873)  of  the  Committee 
on  the  Museum.  The  collection  now  contains  about  forty 
thousand  photographs,  representing  American,  Euro- 
pean, Egvptian,  Classical,  Japanese,  and  Mohammedan 
Art. 


378  LIBRARY 

The  public  is  not  allowed  to  take  books  from  the 
Library,  but  teachers  are  permitted  to  borrow  photo- 
graphs for  purposes  of  instruction  on  condition  that 
they  be  returned  within  forty-eight  hours. 

The  Library  is  open  to  any  visitor  to  the  Museum. 
The  Librarian,  or  an  assistant,  is  constantly  present  to 
give  information  to  readers. 

Free  tickets  of  admission  to  the  Museum  are  issued 
at  the  Director's  discretion  to  special  students  whose 
course  of  investigation  may  be  aided  by  work  in  the 
Library.  Application  should  be  made  through  the 
Librarian. 


EAST  COURT  381 


GREEK   AND  ROMAN   SCULPTURE 

ORIGINAL  works  of  Greek  sculpture  in  America 
are  so  few  and  often  so  fragmentary  that  the  stu- 
dent of  classical  art  must  supplement  his  study 
of  actual  examples  by  the  use  of  photographs  and  casts. 
As  mechanical  reproductions  in  the  original  size,  casts 
give  the  composition,  the  proportions,  and  what  has 
been  called  the  dramatic  character  of  Greek  sculpture, 
and  enable  the  student  to  learn  something  even  of  the 
technical  procedure  of  the  artist.  In  looking  at  them, 
however,  it  must  be  remembered  that  the  final  perfec- 
tion of  style  in  the  work  of  great  masters  cannot  be  re- 
produced in  plaster.  The  effect  of  this  material  in  color, 
quality  of  surface,  and  response  to  light  and  shadow  is 
very  different  from  that  of  the  original  marble  or  bronze. 
The  impression  that  the  casts  produce  should  be  con- 
stantly corrected  by  reference  to  the  collection  of  original 
ancient  sculptures  in  the  classical  galleries. 

The  large  court  to  the  right  of  the  central  stairway 
is  devoted  chiefly  to  Greek  sculpture  of  the  archaic 
period  and  of  the  fifth  and  fourth  centuries  B.  C. 
Near  the  entrance  of  this  room  are  reproductions  of 
works  of  early  date  illustrating  the  steady  progress  by 
which  the  art  outgrew  its  primitive  helplessness  and, 
through  direct  study  of  nature  and  increasing  mastery 
of  materials  and  tools,  prepared  the  way  for  the  con- 
summate achievement  of  the  fifth  century. 

At  this  end  of  the  room  are  also  a  few  casts  of  sculp- 
tures of  the  so-called  period  of  transition  between  archaic 
art  and  the  free  creation  of  the  art  of  Pheidias.  To  this 
period  belong  some  of  the  works  of  which  casts  are  ex- 
hibited on  the  walls  of  the  court:  the  west  pedimental 
group  from  the  Temple  of  Aphaia  in  Aegina  and  some 


382  COLLECTIONS  OF  CASTS 

of  the  pedimental  figures  and  metopes  from  the  Temple 
of  Zeus  at  Olympin.  The  sculpture  of  this  time  lias  a 
freshness  and  sincerity  which  more  than  atone  for  the 
limitations  in  its  scope  of  representation. 

The  athletic  ideal  of  the  fifth  century  B.  C.  is  em- 
bodied in  the  work  of  Myron,  the  sculptor  of  the 
famous  Discobolos,  and  of  Pol}-cleitus  of  Argos,  who 
attempted  to  establish  a  normal  standard  of  proportions 
for  the  human  figure.  Casts  representing  the  work  of 
these  artists  are  shown  in  the  west  end  of  the  court. 

The  mingled  elements  of  Athenian  civilization  found 
their  plastic  expression  in  the  style  of  Pheidias.  At 
the  west  end  of  the  court  are  casts  from  a  few  statues 
of  his  school,  while  on  the  long  pedestals  at  the  sides 
of  the  rooms  are  reproductions  of  the  pedimental  groups 
of  the  Parthenon.  Parts  of  the  Parthenon  frieze  and 
a  few  of  the  metopes  are  arranged  on  the  walls.  The 
decoration  of  this  temple  was  probably  directed  by 
Pheidias.  It  reflects  the  noblest  civic  and  religious 
ideals  of  Greece. 

The  graceful  motives  and  the  refined  technique  of 
Praxiteles  are  shown  in  casts  from  works  attributed  to 
him  and  to  his  school.  These  are  grouped  at  the 
southeast  corner  of  the  court.  In  the  northeast  cor- 
ner are  reproductions  of  statues  attributed  to  Scopas, 
one  of  the  most  vigorous  and  original  of  the  sculptors 
of  the  fourth  century  B.  C.  The  last  great  sculptor  of 
the  athletic  figure  in  Greece  was  Lysippus  of  Sicyon, 
whose  celebrated  Apoxyomenos  is  known  to  us  through 
a  Roman  copy,  of  which  a  cast  is  exhibited  here. 

Because  of  their  large  size,  casts  of  two  important 
examples  of  late  Greek  sculpture  are  exhibited  in  the 
court:  the  Victory  of  Samothrace  and  a  part  of  the 
frieze  of  the  great  altar  at  Pergamon.  In  front  of 
the  latter  is  placed  a  selection  of  the  dramatic  sculp- 
tures of  the  earlier  Pergamene  School. 

A  door  on  the  south  wall  of  the  court  leads  into  a 


EAST  COURT  383 

corridor  on  one  of  whose  walls  are  casts  from  the  frieze 
of  the  Temple  of  Apollo,  near  Phigaleia  in  Arcadia. 

In  the  circular  hall  under  the  rotunda  are  casts  from 
works  of  the  Hellenistic  and  Roman  periods,  including 
the  Aphrodite  of  Melos  and  the  Laocobn  group.  A 
model  of  the  Athenian  Acropolis  and  of  a  corner  of  the 
Parthenon  are  also  shown  here. 


NOTE. —  For  detailed  information  regarding  the  classical 
casts,  the  visitor  is  referred  to  the  Cdfultxjut'  <>f  ('<«/*  of  dra-k 
and  J'oiiKin  Sculp/aw  (Edward  Robinson)  describing  the  col- 
lection as  installed  in  the  old  building.  Students  of  classical 
archaeology  may  obtain  permission  to  examine  in  the  basement 
storerooms  many  casts  which  are  not  shown  in  the  galleries. 


384  COLLECTIONS  OF  CASTS 


SCULPTURE  OK  THE  ITALIAN  RENAISSANCE 

In  the  collection  of  casts  from  sculpture  of  the 
Italian  Renaissance,  the  chief  sculptors  of  that  period 
are  all  represented,  sonic  of  them  by  their  most  famous 
works.  The  two  figures  of  horsemen — the  smaller, 
of  Gattamelata,  by  Donatello  (ll.Vj),  and  the  larger, 
of  Colleoni,  by  Verrocchio  (l49&) — are  regarded  as 
the  foremost  equestrian  statues  of  the  world.  Niccolo 
Pisano's  octagonal  pulpit  in  Siena  Cathedral  was  com- 
missioned in  the  year  of  Dante's  birth  (l265),  and  for 
the  first  time  embodied  the  imagery  of  the  Catholic 
faith  in  forms  of  classical  purity  and  beauty.  Jacopo 
della  Quercia,  the  most  noted  of  the  sculptors  of  Siena, 
is  represented  by  the  recumbent  effigy  of  Ilaria  del 
Carretto  (d.  1405).  The  emphatic  composition  of  this 
figure  and  the  poetical  impressivcness  of  the  marble 
effigy  by  a  living  artist  across  the  room  exemplify  two 
widely  different  conceptions  of  the  art  of  sculpture. 
The  great  portal  on  the  south  wall  reproduces  the 
eastern  doors  of  the  Baptistery  at  Florence  (1452),  by 
Lorenzo  Ghiberti  —  fit  to  be-  the  gates  of  Paradise,  as 
Michel  Angelo  said.  Ten  typical  scenes  from  Old 
Testament  history  fill  the  ten  panels,  and  the  heads 
and  statuettes  that  surround  them  and  the  garland 
that  frames  them  are  no  less  interesting  as  sculpture. 
Of  Donatello,  the  sculptor  of  greatest  power  in  Italy 
before  Michel  Angelo,  the  collection  contains,  beside 
the  Gattamelata  and  reliefs,  two  well-known  statues — 
the  St.  George  (1416),  a  young  man-at-arms  impatient 
for  the  battle,  and  the  David  (l430),  the  earliest  nude 
statue  of  modern  times.  On  the  north  wall  are  placed 
reproductions  of  the  famous  reliefs  of  Singing  and 
Dancing  Youths,  carved  by  Luca  della  Robbia  in  1437 


WEST  COURT  385 

for  the  organ  loft  of  Florence  Cathedral,  and  now  pre- 
served in  the  Cathedral  Museum.  Reproductions  of 
two  lunettes  in  glazed  terra-cotta  by  his  nephew, 
Andrea  della  Robbia,  hang  above,  one  imaging  the 
meeting  of  St.  Francis  and  St.  Dominic,  the  other  the 
Annunciation  of  the  Virgin.  The  collection  includes 
a  number  of  reliefs,  busts,  and  statues  from  the  mem- 
orable group  of  sculptors  who  were  the  contemporaries 
of  the  Robbia  in  Florence:  Mino  da  Fiesole,  Desiderio 
da  Settignano,  Verrocchio,  Rossellino,  and  others. 
The  reproductions  of  Michel  Angelo's  works  include 
three  of  his  greatest  achievements  :  the  statue  of  Moses 
from  the  tomb  of  Julius  II  (ordered  1505),  and  the 
figures  of  the  Dukes  Lorenxo  and  Giuliano  de'  Medici, 
and  of  Night,  Day,  Evening,  and  Dawn  from  the  tombs 
of  the  Dukes  (15^1-1534-)  in  the  Medici  Chapel. 


NOTE. —  For  further  information  in  regard  to  the  sculptures 
which  this  collection  of  easts  reproduces,  the  visitor  is  referred 
to  the  Manual  of  Italian  lifnaixxaHrr  Sculpture  (Benjamin  Ives 
Oilman),  published  by  the  Museum. 


NOTES  ON  CHINESE  CHRONOLOGY 

1  Including  the  Minor  Han  (221-265),  Wei  (220-265),  and 
Wu  (229-265). 

-  Six  dynasties  is  a  loose  term.  As  dated  here  it  covers  the 
Western  Ch'in  (263-317),  Eastern  Ch'in  (317-420).  the  division 
into  North  and  South  (420-589:  under  the  Sung,  420-479; 
Cli'i.  479-502;  Liang.  .502-337;  Ch'en,  537-389;  Northern 
Wei,  386-533;  Western  Wei,  535-557;  Eastern  Wei.  534-550; 
Northern  Ch'i,  550-589;  Northern  Chou,  557-589),  and  Sui 
(589-618)  dynasties. 

3  Including  the  Posterior  Liang,  Posterior  Tang,  Posterior 
Ch'in,  Posterior  Han,  and  Posterior  Chou,  with  which,  and 
with  the  Sung  and  Southern  Sung,  the  Liao  (907-1125), 
Western  Liao  (1125-1168),  and  Ch'in  (1115-1260)  dynasties 
were  contemporary. 


SYNOPSIS   OF    THE 
OF   ART 

(AS  REPRESENTED  IN  THE  MUSEUM  COLLECTIONS) 


WSBTSRS 

EUROPE        THE  LEVANT 

Predynastic 
(    Old  Empire 
Middle  Emp. 
Prehistoric        New  Empire 
30(10-1000 
(Miuoan) 


Archaic. 
1000-500 

Classical 

500-300 

Hellenistic 
^        300-100 

Graeco- 

Koman 

100  n.  c.- 

200  A.  D. 


Early 
Christian 


—  ATTILA,  451  — 


(Assyria) 


Greek. 

Roman,  and 

Byzantine 

(Coptic) 

periods, 

332  n.  c.- 

638  A.  1). 


Byzantine 


Romanesque 

800-1200 


Gothic 
1200-1400 


Early  Renaissance 
1400-1500 


High  Renaissance 
1500-1600 


Late  Renaissance 
1600-1800 


Arabian 
Saracenic, 


Islamic 


!'..  C. 
3000 


500 


1000 
1100 

1200 
1300 

1400 
1500 

1600 
1700 


1900 
A.  D. 


EASTERN 


CHINA 

(Dynasties) 
Shang,  1766-1122 
Chou,  1122-255 


Lao  Tzii,  born  «d4 
Confucius,  551-479 


Ch'in,  255-206 
Han,  206-A.  D.  25 


Later  Han,  25-221 

Buddhism 

C7 

Three  Kingdoms1 

Six  Dynasties* 
265-618 


JAPAN 


Beginning  of 
Imperial  rule 
660 


Confucianism,  285 


T'ang,  618-907 

Five  Dynasties,3  907-960 

Sung,  960-1127  Buddhism,  538 ;  Suiko, 
552-644;  Hakuho,  645- 
709;  Tempyo,  710-793; 
Jogan,  794-899;  Fuji- 
wara,  900-1189,  periods 


Southern 

Sung, 

1127-1280 


—  GENGHIS  KHAN,  1206  — 

Yuan 

1280-1368  Ashikaga  Shogunate 

1338-1582 

Mbig 
1368-1644 

Momoyama  period 

15H3-1602 

Ch'ing  Tokugawa  Shogunate 

1644-1912  1603-1867 


Full  restoration  of  Imperial 
rule,  1868 


Republic  from 
1912 


Melji,  1868-1911 
Taisei,  from  1912 


THE  MUSEUM  AND  ITS  HISTORY 


MUSEUM   OF   FINE   ARTS,   BOSTON 

INCORPORATED    FEBRUARY    -t,     1S70 

THE  Museum  is  a  permanent  public  exhibition  of  original 
works  of  the  art  of  Egypt,  Greece,  Rome,  the  Orient, 
and  modern  Europe  and  America,  supplemented  by 
reproductions  of  others.  It  is  supported  wholly  by  private 
gifts  and  managed  by  a  Board  of  Trustees  including  represen- 
tatives of  Harvard  University,  the  Boston  Athenaeum,  the 
Massachusetts  Institute  of  Technology,  the  City  and  the  State, 
acting  through  a  numerous  staff  and  with  the  cooperation  of 
visiting  and  advisory  committees  of  citizens.  Visitors,  about 
250,000  annually. 

A  public  museum  of  art  offers  the  whole  people  an  unfailing 
source  of  delight  and  improvement.  The  preservation,  enrich- 
ment, and  interpretation  of  museum  collections  demand  liberal 
financial  support.  They  must  be  shown  under  secure  and  hon- 
orable conditions.  Unless  by  gift,  they  can  be  increased  only 
through  the  expenditure  of  large  sums  in  purchase  or  explora- 
tion. Their  care  and  exposition  demand  a  staff  of  specialists. 
In  the  measure  of  its  power  of  wise  outlay  a  museum  can  both 
widen  and  deepen  its  beneficent  influence. 

The  legal  title  is  "  Museum  of  Fine  Arts."  Names  of  givers 
are  permanently  attached  to  objects  purchased  with  their  gifts. 


392          THE   MUSEUM   AND    ITS   HISTORY 

TRUSTEES    OF   THE    MUSEUM 

Named  in  Act  of  Incorporation,  Feb.  4,  1870,  or  since  Elected 

CHARLES  WILLIAM  ELIOT Feb.     4,1870 

DENMAN  WALDO  ROSS Jan.    17,  1895 

CHARLES  SPRAGUE  SARGENT     ....  Jan.    18,  1900 

FRANCIS  LEE  HIGGINSON Jan.    18,  1900 

MORRIS  GRAY Jan.    16,  l!)o> 

EDWARD  WALDO  FORBES April  28,  1903 

A.  SHUMAN Jan.    17,  1907 

THOMAS  ALLEN April  1.5,  1909 

THEODORE  NELSON  VAIL Jan.    19,1911 

GEORGE  ROBERT  WHITE Jan.    19,1911 

ALEXANDER  COCHRANE Jan.    16,  1913 

AUGUSTUS  HEMENWAY Jan.    16.  1913 

WILLIAM  CROWNINSH1ELD  ENDICOTT,  Jan.    21,  1915 

GEORGE  PEABODY  GARDNER May      6,  1915 

WILLIAM  ENDICOTT May      6,  1915 

Appointed  by  Harvard  College 

WILLIAM  STURGIS  BIGELOW,  1891 
JOHN  TEMPLEMAN  COOLIDGE,  i»o-> 
ROBERT  BACON,  1912 

Appointed  by  the  Boston  Athenaeum 

JOSEPH  RANDOLPH  COOLIDGE,  JR.,  1899 
ALEXANDER  WADSWORTH  LONGFELLOW,  liiol 
HOLKER  ABBOTT,  1909 

Appointed  by  the  Massachusetts  Institute  of  Technology 

RICHARD  COCKBURN  MACLAURIN,  1909 
EDWARD  JACKSON  HOLMES,  1910 
ROBERT  SWAIN  PEABODY,  1912 

Ex  Officio 

JAMES  MICHAEL  CURLEY,  Mayor  of  Boston,  191 1 
JOSIAH    HENRY    BENTON,   President   of  the    Trustees  of 

the  Public  Library,   1908 
FRANKLIN  BENJAMIN  DYER,  Superintendent  of  Pnhllc 

Schools,  1912 

DAVID  SNEDDEN.  Commh.fi oner  of  Education.  1909 
ABBOTT    LAWRENCE    LOWELL,    Trustee  of  the  Lowell 

Institute,  1900 


OFFICERS  AND   COMMITTEES  393 


OFFICERS   AND    COMMITTEES   FOR    1916 

MORRIS  GRAY,  President 

FRANCIS  LEE  HIGGINSON,  Treasurer 

ARTHUR  FAIRBANKS,  Director 

BENJAMIN   IVES  GILMAN,  Secretary  of  the  Museum 

FRANK  HERBERT  DAMON,  Assistant  Treasurer 


STANDING  COMMITTEES 
Committee  on  the  Museum 

THE  DIRECTOR,  Ex  Officio,  Chairman 
THE  PRESIDENT,  Ex  Officio 
THE  TREASURER,  Ex  Officio 
THOMAS  ALLKN 

WILLIAM  STURGIS  BIGELOW 
ALEXANDER  COCHRANE 

JOHN  TEMPLEMAN  COOLIDGE 
DENMAN  WALDO  ROSS 

GEORGE  ROBERT  WHITE 

Committee  on  the  School  of  the  Museum  of  Fine  Arts 

THE  PRESIDENT,  Ex  Officio      THE  DIRECTOR,  Ex  Officio 
THOMAS  ALLEN 

finance  Committee 

THE  PRESIDENT,  Ex  Officio 

THE  TREASURER,  Ex  Officio 

ALEXANDER  COCHRANE 

GEORGE  PEABODY  GARDNER 

GEORGE  ROBERT  WHITE 


394          THE  MUSEUM   AND   ITS   HISTORY 

.  VISITING   COMMITTEES 

A  dmin  ixt  ration 

ARTHUR  FREDERIC  ESTABROOK,  Chairman 
ABBOTT  LAWRENCE  LOWELL 

WALLACE  LINCOLN  PIERCE 
A.  SHUMAN 

FRANK  GEORGE  WEBSTER 
MRS.  ROGER  WOLCOTT 

Classical  Art 

JOSEPH  RANDOLPH  COOLIDGE,  Jit.,  Chairman 
MRS.  WALTER  SCOTT  FIT/ 
EDWARD  WALDO  FORBES 

WILLIAM  AMORY  GARDNER 

MRS.  JOHN  MUNRO  LONGYEAR 
MRS.  FRANCIS  CABOT  LOWELL 
BELA  LYON  PRATT 

MRS.  NATHANIEL  THAYER 

MRS.  EMILE  FRANCIS  WILLIAMS 

Prints 

GEORGE  PEABODY  GARDNER,  Chairman 
GORDON  ABBOTT 

Miss  KATHERINE  BULLARD 
WILLIAM  MAURICE  BULLIVANT 

MRS.  THOMAS  JEFFERSON  COOLIDGE,  JR. 
ALLEN  CURf  IS 

HORATIO  GREENOUGH  CURTIS 
PAUL  JOSEPH  SACHS 
CHARLES  COBB  WALKER 
FELIX  MORITZ  WARBURG 

Egyptian  Art 

AUGUSTUS  HEMENWAY,  Chairman 
Miss  MARY  SHREVE  AMES 

FRANCIS  WRIGHT  FABYAN 
Miss  HELEN  C.  FRICK 

DAVID  GORDON  LYON 

JOSEPH  LINDON  SMITH 

Chinese  and  Japanese  Art 
EDWARD  JACKSON  HOLMES,  Chain,,,,,, 
DR.  WILLIAM  STURG1S  BIGELOW 
RALPH  ADAMS  CRAM 

MRS.  ERNEST  BLANEY  DANE 
MRS.  FRANCIS  LEE  HIGGINSON,  JR. 
WILLIAM  STUART  SPAULDING 
MRS.  WASHINGTON  B.  THOMAS 
MRS.  GEORGE  TYSON 
BAYARD  WARREN 

MRS.  CHARLES  GODDARD  WELD 
JAMES  HAUGHTON  WOODS 


COMMITTKES  395 

Western  Art  :   J'niiifitii/.t 

THOMAS  ALLEN,   Chairman 
HOLKEK  ABBOTT 

ALEXANDER  COCHRANE 

ROBERT  JACOB  EDWARDS 

Mus.  ROBERT  DAWSON  EVANS 
MKS.  WALTER  SCOTT  FITZ 
DESMOND  FITZGERALD 
EBEN  DYER  JORDAN 

EDMUND  CHARLES  TARBELL 
GEORGE  ROBERT  WHITE 

Western  Art :  Textiles 

DR.  DENMAN  WALDO  ROSS,  Chairman 
Miss  FRANCES  GREELY  CURTIS 

DR.  JOHN  WHEELOCK  ELLIOT 

LINCOLN  NEWTON  KINNICUTT 
MRS.  BAYARD  THAYER 

Western  Art :  other  Collections 

JOHN  TEMPLEMAN  COOLIDGE.   Chairman 
MKS.  GEORGE  RUSSELL  AGASSIZ 
FRANCIS  HILL  BIGELOW 

WILLIAM  CROWNINSHIELD  ENDICOTT 
MRS.  ROBERT  FREDERICK  HERRICK 
MKS.  MAYNARD  LADD 
JOHN  ENDICOTT  PEABODY 
DUDLEY  LEAVITT  PICKMAN 
HENRY  DAVIS  SLEEPER 

CHARLES  HITCHCOCK  TYLER 

Library 

CHARLES  KNOWLES  BOLTON,  Chairman 
HOLKER  ABBOTT 

MKS.   HENRY  DENISON  BURNHAM 
CHARLES  KIMBALL  CUMMINGS 
MKS.  CHARLES  PELHAM  CURTIS, 
ALEXANDER  WADSWORTH  LONGFELLOW 
EDWARD  PERCIVAL  MERRITT 
Mus.  HORATIO  NELSON  SLATER 
Miss  HARRIET  SMITH  TOLMAN 

The   President    is  «.r  officio  a  member  of  all   the  Visiting 
Committees. 


396          THE   MUSEUM   AND    ITS   HISTORY 


ADVISORY   COMMITTEE  ON   EDUCATION 

CHARLES  WILLIAM  ELIOT,  Chairman 
CHARLES  KNOWLES  BOLTON 
MRS.  RICHARD  CLARKE  CABOT 
JOSEPH  RANDOLPH  COOLIDGE,  JR. 
THEODORE  MILTON  DILLAWAY 
FRANKLIN  BENJAMIN  DYER 
ARTHUR  FAIRBANKS 
MORRIS  GRAY 

MRS.  HORATIO  APPLETON  LAMB 
Miss  FANNY  PEABODY  MASON 
MRS.  ROBERT  SHAW  RUSSELL 
Miss  ANNA  DIXWELL  SLOCUM 

MRS.  CHARLES  EDWARD  WHITMORE 
THE  SECRETARY  OF  THE  MUSEUM,  Ex  Officiu,  Secretary 


STAFF  OF  THE   MUSEUM  397 

THE    STAFF    OF   THE    MUSEUM 

DIRECTOR  ARTHI  R  FAIRBANKS 

SECRETARY  OF  THE  MUSEUM      BENJAMIN  IVES  OILMAN 
ASSISTANT  DIRECTOR  MORRIS  CARTER 

BURSAR  pro  tempore  MORRIS  CARTER 

SUPERVISOR  OF  EDUCATIONAL  WORK 

HroER  ELLIOTT 
REGISTRAR  HAN  FORD  LYMAN  STORY 


Department  of  Prints 

CURATOR  FiTzRoY  CARRINGTON 

ASSOCIATE  CURATOR     EMU.  HKINRICH  RICHTER 
ASSISTANT  ADAM  E.  M.  PAKF 


Department  of  Classical  Art 
CURATOR  LACEY  DAVIS  CASKEY 

Department  of  Chinese  and  Japanese  Art 

CURATOR  JOHN  ELLERTON  LODGE 

KEEPER  OF  JAPANESE  POTTERY 

EDWARD  SYI.VESTEB  MORSE 
KKKPERS  IN  THE  DEPARTMENT 

FRANCIS  STEWART  KEHSHAW 

KOJIHO  TOMITA 

ASSISTANT  HAROLD  IRVING  THOMPSON 

Department  of  Egyptian  Art 

CURATOR  GEORGE  ANDREW  REISNER 

ASSOCIATE  OF  THE  DEPARTMENT          Dows  DUNHAM 

Department  of  Paintings 
KEEPER  JOHN  BRIGGS  POTTER 


398  THK    MUSEUM    AM)    ITS    H1STOKY 

lii  l»trtin<  nt   «f    HV.s7, /•/;    Art 

HONORARY  CURATOR  FRANK   Gun    MA«>V..KK 

ASSISTANT  IN  CHARGE  OF  TEXTILES 

Miss  SARAH  GOHK.   FLINT 
ASSISTANT  IN  CHARGE  OF  OTHER  COLLECTIONS 

Miss  FI.OUKNCK  VIHC.INIA  I'AI  LI. 
ASSOCIATE  OF  THE  DEPARTMENT 

HKHVKV  EDWAKD  WKT/.KI. 


labrasry 

LIBRARIAN  FOSTKK    Sri:  MISS 

ASSISTANT  LIBRARIAN  MKS  MVHTMA   FKNI.KHSON 

ASSISTANT  IN  CHARGE  OF  PHOTOGRAPHS 

Miss  FIIANOOS  Ei.i.is  TritNKK 


Registry  of  L<>r<il  .//•/ 
REGISTRAR  BKNJAMIN    IVKS  GII.M\N 


SUPERINTENDENT  WILLIAM  WAI.I-VI-K  MAC  Li  AN 


SUBSCR IPT1ONS  399 

SUBSCRIPTIONS  TO  THE   MUSEUM 

Annual  Tickets  admitting  four  persons  (transferable)  are 
issued  to  Annual  Subscribers  of  §10  and  upwards.  Subscribers 
are  also  entitled  to  receive,  free  by  post,  copies  of  the  Report 
of  the  Museum,  issued  yearly,  and  the  Bulletin,  which  appears 
bi-monthly.  Cheques  should  be  made  payable  to  the  Museum 
of  Fine  Arts  and  addressed  to  the  Museum. 

LIST   OF    PUBLICATIONS 

Apply  at  the  office  at  the  Iluntiiifrton  Avenue  entrance,  or  by  mail  to 
the  Secretary  of  the  Museum. 

Bulletin.  Published  bi-monthly  at  50  cents  per  year  post- 
paid; single  copies,  10  cents.  Vol.  1,  1903.  Past  numbers, 
20  cents  each.  Past  Volumes,  81. OO  each.  Volumes  I-IV 
(1906)  in  part  out  of  print. 

Annual  Report.  Published  in  March.  Sent  free  on  appli- 
cation. 

Postpaid. 
Handbook  of  the  Museum,  over  400  pp.,  with  more 

than  300  illustrations.     In  paper $0.50 

In  cloth .75 

Leaflet  Guide  to  the  Museum Sent  free. 

List  of  Publications Sent  free. 

DEPARTMKNT  OK  PRINTS 

The  Print  Collector's  Qunrti  /•/?/,  FitzRoy  Carrington, 
Editor.  Published  for  the  Museum  by  Houghton 
Mifflin  Company,  in  February,  April,  October, 
and  December.  Subscription  price,  $2.OO  a 
year;  single  copies.  $<>..}0.  Subscriptions  may 
be  addressed  to  the  Company  either  at  4  Park 
Street.  Boston,  or  at  14  East  Fortieth  Street, 
New  York. 

Print  Collector's  Booklets: 
The  Men  of  1890. 

The  Art  and  Etchings  of  Jean  Francois  Millet. 
Le  Pere  Corot, 
Charles  Francois  Daubigny,  Painter  and  Etcher. 

By  Robert  J.  Wickenden. 
Charles  Jacque  (1813-1H94). 
By  Robert  J.  Wickenden. 
Maxime  Lalanne. 

By  William  Aspenwall  Bradley. 

Each  booklet,  in  paper $0.20 

The  set  in  a  case 1.00 


400          THE  MUSEUM   AND   ITS  HISTORY 

Catalogue  of  the  Engraved  and  Lithographed  Work      Postpaid. 
of  John  Cheney  and  Seth  Wells  Cheney  (1891). 

S.  R.  Koehler $->.:>() 

Exhibition  of  Early  Engraving  in  America:  Decem- 
ber 12,  1904,  to  February  5,  1905 1.00 

In  boards  on  hand-made  paper "2.00 

DEPARTMENT  OK  CLASSICAL  ART 

Catalogue  of  Casts  of  Greek  and  Roman  Sculpture. 
Edward  Robinson. 

With  supplements .50 

Greek  Gods  and  Heroes  as  Represented  in  the  Clas- 
sical Collections  of  the  Museum:  a  Handbook 
for  High  School  Students. 

Arthur  Fairbanks,  in  conjunction  with  a  Com- 
mittee of  Teachers.  Hough  ton  Miffiin  Co. ,  1915. 

In  boards .60 

In  paper .30 

A  Chryselephantine  Statuette.  L.  D.  Caskey.  Re- 
printed from  the  American  Journal  of  Archae- 
ology, Vol.  XIX,  No.  3.  1915 .15 

Gallery  Books: 
Classical  Corridor. 
Graeco-Roman  Glass. 
Sculpture. 
Archaic  Room. 

Terra  Cotta  Figurines  and  Vases. 
Sculptures  and  Bronzes. 
Fifth  Century  Room. 
Coins  of  Syracuse. 
Gems  and  Jewelry. 
Bronzes  and  Terra  Cotta  Figurines. 
Vases. 
Fourth  Century  Room. 

Greek  and  Etruscan  Mirrors. 
Terra  Cotta  Figurines  and  Vases. 
Late  Greek  Room. 
Gems  and  Jewelry. 
Bronzes. 
Terra  Cottas. 
Sculpture. 

Graeco-Roman  Gallery. 
Sculpture. 

Each  book .25 

Catalogue  of  Arretine  Moulds.     G.  H.  Chase.     (In 

preparation.) 
Catalogue  of  Casts  for  sale Sent  free. 


THE   MUSEUM   AND    ITS   HISTORY          401 

DEPARTMENT  OF  CHINESE  AND  JAPANESE  ART 
Catalogue  of  the  Morse  Collection  of  Japanese  Pot- 
tery (1901).     Edward  S.  Morse $.'0.(K) 

Large  paper  edition 50.00 

Catalogue   of    Japanese   Sword    Guards.       Okabe- 

Kakuya  (1908) 1.25 

The  Illustrations  separately,  in  a  cover  .        ...  ..'."> 

Gallery  Book.    Netsuke .25 

DEPARTMENT  OK  WESTERN  ART 
Manual  of  Italian  Renaissance  Sculpture.    Benjamin 

Ives  Gilraan   .        .    .  .50 

Catalogue  of  a  Loan  Exhibition  of  American  Church 

Silver  (1911):  with  illustrations 5.00 

Gallery  Books: 

Italian  Renaissance  Sculpture .25 

Bremgartcn  Room .10 

Lawrence  Room .10 

W.  A.  Buffura  Collection  of  Amber .10 

The  publications  of  the  Museum  ;ire  on  sale  in  London  by  Bernard 
Quaritch,  No.  11,  Crafton  St.,  New  Bond  St.  \V. 


The  following  publications  are  also  on  sale  at  the 
office  at  the  Huntiiijtton  Avenue  entrance  : 

The  Tears  of  the  Heliades,  or  Amber  as  a  Gem. 

W.  A.  Buffum.     G.  P.  Putnam's  Sons,  1900  .    .  $1.00 

A  Catalogue  of  the  Engraved  Plates  for  Picturesque 
Views  in  England  and  Wales  after  Water  Color 
Drawings  by  J.  M.  W.  Turner.  Francis  Bullard. 

Merrymount  Press,  1910.     Paper 1.00 

Cloth 1.50 

Bernini  and  Other  Studies  in  the  History  of  Art. 

Richard  Norton.     Macmillan  Co.,  1914  ....  5.00 

Prints:    Their    Technique    and    History.      E.    H. 

Richter.     Houghton  Mifflin  Co.,  1914    ....  2.00 

Athenian  White  Lekythoi.  Arthur  Fairbanks.  Uni- 
versity of  Michigan  Studies.  Humanistic  Series. 

Vol.  VI,    1907 4.00 

Vol.  VII,  1914 3.50 

Buddhist  Art  in  Its  Relation  to  Buddhist  Doctrine. 
M.  Anesaki.  Houghton  Mifflin  Co.,  1915. 

In  boards 6.00 

Paper 5.00 

COPYING  AND  PHOTOGRAPHING 
Application  to  copy  or  photograph  any  object  in  the  Museum 
should  be  made  at  the  Director's  office.     Easels  and  space  to 
keep  materials  are  provided  for  students. 


4O2          THE   MUSEUM   AND   ITS   HISTORY 
EDUCATIONAL    OPPORTUNITIES 

For  information  concerning  the  following  announcements  apply  to 
the  Supervisor  of  Educational  Work  at  the  Museum. 

1.     STUDENTS'   AND   ARTISTS'   TICKETS 

Free  tickets  of  admission  are  issued  to 

(1)  Teachers,  alone  or  accompanied  by  pupils  for  purposes  of 
instruction  in  art. 

(2)  Any  student  of  art  or  history,  when  recommended  by  a" 
teacher  known  to  the  Museum;  also  to  special  students  whose 
course  of  investigation  may  be  assisted  by  work  in  the  Museum 
or  Library  and  to  those  who  are  attending  special  courses  of 
instruction  in  the  Museum. 

(3)  Artists  and  designers  and  others  employed  in  industries, 
on  satisfying  the  Director  of  their  professional  qualification, 
and   for  such   period   as   the    Director   may   determine,    not 
exceeding  five  years. 

2.     DOCENT   SERVICE:   WEEK  DAYS 
Free  by  Appointment 

The  officers  of  the  Museum  have  united  in  offering  to  act  as 
Docents,  or  companions  to  visitors  in  the  galleries,  as  far  as 
their  other  work  will  permit.  Applicants  will  receive  cards 
giving  the  day  and  hour  of  the  appointment,  and  entitling 
the  holders  to  the  attendance  of  the  officer  named  on  the  card 
within  his  department  for  one  hour  from  the  time  stated. 
The  number  of  persons  in  one  party  is  limited  to  twenty-five. 
These  cards  do  not  exempt  the  holders  from  the  usual  admission 
fee  to  the  Museum. 

By  applying  in  advance  teachers  and  others  who  are  inter- 
ested in  visiting  the  Museum  may  arrange  to  have  a  Docent 
meet  groups  or  classes  in  the  Museum;  pupils  may  be  sent 
without  a  teacher,  in  groups  of  from  ten  to  twenty,  and  a 
Docent  will  meet  them  by  appointment. 


EDUCATIONAL  OPPORTUNITIES  403 

3.     SUNDAY   DOCENT  SERVICE 


From  the  beginning  of  October  to  the  end  of  May  two 
speakers  meet  visitors  in  the  galleries  of  the  Museum  on  each 
Sunday  afternoon.  Informal  talks  are  given  either  to  audi- 
ences seated  before  objects  in  the  collections  or  to  groups 
moving  from  gallery  to  gallery;  occasionally  the  lecture  hall 
is  used.  The  names  of  the  speakers  and  the  subjects  of  the 
talks  are  announced  in  the  newspapers  and  in  special  notices 
sent  upon  request  to  educational  and  other  institutions. 

Those  who  give  their  time  thus  to  making  the  collections  of 
greater  interest  to  the  visitors  are  friends  of  the  Museum,  and 
the  public  and  the  Museum  are  greatly  indebted  to  them  for 
their  willing  efforts  to  impart  to  others  the  interest  which  they 
feel  in  the  collections. 

4.     THURSDAY  CONFERENCES 

Admission  by  Card  Previously  Obtalunl 

Informal  talks  in  the  galleries  on  objects  shown  at  the  time 
are  given  each  winter  by  officers  of  the  Museum.  The  confer- 
ences are  announced  in  the  Museum  Bulletin,  in  the  daily 
papers,  and  by  leaflets  posted  and  distributed  at  the  entrance 
of  the  building.  Admission  is  free  by  card,  which  will  be  sent 
when  application  is  made  accompanied  by  a  stamped  and  ad- 
dressed envelope.  Applications  will  be  filled  in  the  order 
received,  and  tickets  (to  the  capacity  of  the  gallery)  for  each 
series  of  conferences  will  be  sent  two  weeks  before  the  series 
begins.  The  card  docs  not  exempt  the  holder  from  paying 
admission  to  the  Museum. 

5.     UNIVERSITY   EXTENSION  COURSES 

^liliiiixKtou  l>y  Fee 

The  Museum  cooperates  with  the  colleges  and  universities 
of  Boston  and  neighborhood  in  the  instruction  offered  by  the 
Commission  on  Extension  Courses.  This  instruction  corre- 
sponds as  nearly  as  practicable  to  that  offered  in  the  curriculum 
of  the  institutions  cooperating. 


404          THE   MUSEUM   AND    ITS   HISTORY 

Lectures  arc  given  in  the  Museum  by  the  members  of  its 
Staff  and  the  galleries  and  classrooms  are  offered  for  work  in 
connection  with  courses  relating  to  its  exhibits.  Information 
regarding  hours,  fees,  and  entrance  requirements  may  be 
obtained  by  writing  to  the  Commission  on  Extension  Courses, 
University  Hall,  Cambridge,  or  to  the  Supervisor  of  Educa- 
tional Work  in  the  Museum. 

<i.     LECTURES 

From  time  to  time  the  Museum  invites  distinguished  men 
to  deliver  lectures  on  subjects  connected  with  the  Eine  Arts. 
Admission  is  by  invitation.  Other  lectures  are  given  in  con- 
nection with  the  courses  offered  by  the  School  of  the  Museum. 
For  these  a  fixed  fee  is  charged ;  the  topics  and  hours  may  be 
had  on  application. 

The  Museum  also  offers  to  the  educational  institutions  of 
Greater  Boston  an  illustrated  lecture  on  the  Treasures  of  the 
Museum,  to  be  given  without  charge  in  the  lecture  hall  of 
fie  institution  asking  for  it:  the  lantern  and  operator  to  be 
supplied  without  cost  to  the  Museum. 

7.     MISCELLANEOUS   EDUCATIONAL  ACTIVITIES 

The  Museum  furnishes  upon  application  printed  lists  of 
objects  to  be  found  in  the  collections  which  will  aid  the  teacher 
of  history,  languages,  geography,  etc.,  to  illustrate  his  subject. 
Series  of  half-tone  reproductions  of  paintings,  statues,  and  the 
minor  arts  are  published  for  use  in  the  schools  in  connection 
with  the  teaching  of  history,  drawing,  design,  etc.  The  Mu- 
seum gladly  lends,  under  simple  restrictions,  its  lantern  slides 
(about  4,500),  photographs  (about  40,000),  and  duplicate 
textiles  and  prints. 

8.     PRIVATE   INSTRUCTION  AT  THE  MUSEUM 

The  use  of  the  Museum  classrooms  and  lecture  halls  is  open 
to  any  persons  or  organizations  desiring  to  illustrate  single 
lectures  or  courses  of  instruction  by  the  collections.  Creden- 
tials satisfactory  to  the  Supervisor  of  Educational  Work  must 


EDUCATIONAL   OPPORTUNITIES  405 

be  furnished  by  those  desiring  to  give  such  courses,  and  the 
form  of  any  public  announcement  must  also  be  approved. 

The  use  of  the  room  is  free.  If  the  lantern  is  used  an 
operator  is  furnished  and  a  charge  of  $J.<)0  for  each  occasion 
is  made.  The  Museum  assumes  no  responsibility  for  this 
instruction. 

The  offer  of  this  privilege  continues  a  policy  inaugurated  in 
the  early  days  of  the  Museum.  A  Memorandum  upon  Edu- 
cation adopted  by  the  Trustees  in  1883  and  printed  in  the 
Annual  Report  of  that  year  announced  that  the  policy  of  per- 
mitting classes  in  art  to  occupy  rooms  in  the  Museum  would 
be  continued  in  any  future  extension  of  the  building  and  col- 
lections. In  this  memorandum  the  Trustees  stated  that  they 
"  have  not  considered  it  necessary  to  do  more  than  satisfy 
themselves  that  the  direction  of  these  classes  was  in  good  hands, 
not  likely  to  bring  discredit  upon  the  Museum.  They  have 
not  asserted  any  further  control  or  right  of  visitation."  In 
announcing  the  larger  facilities  now  available  for  similar  ends, 
the  Museum  desires  that  this  attitude  be  clearly  understood. 


HISTORICAL    DATA 


407 


poration, 
1870     *ry  ** 


HISTORICAL    DATA 
STATEMENTS   OF   PURPOSES 

The  charter  constitutes  "  ;i  body  corporate,  by  the  name 
of  the  Trustees  of  the  Museum  of  Fine  Arts  for  the  purpose  of 
erecting  a  museum  for  the  preservation  and  exhi- 
bition  of  works  of  art,  of  making,  maintaining, 
ant^  exhibiting  collections  of  such  works,  and  of 
affording  instruction  in  the  Fine  Arts." 

''The  objects  of  the  Museum  of  Fine  Arts  are:   1st.     To 

make  available  to  the  public  and  to  students  such  art  collec- 

tions already  existing  in  this  neighborhood  as  the 

Report  of         proprietors  of  such  collections  may  see  fit  to  de- 

Committee 

on  By-Laws,    posit  in  a  suitable  building  to  be  arranged  for  the 

is-;™  l7'  purpose,  —  under  such  general  provisions  as  to 
the  custody  and  exhibition  thereof  as  shall  be 
agreed  upon,  —  with  the  sole  view  to  their  greatest  public  use- 
fulness. 2d.  To  form  in  this  way  the  nucleus  of  what  may 
hereafter  become,  through  the  liberality  of  enlightened  friends 
of  Art,  a  representative  Museum  of  the  Fine  Arts,  in  all  their 
branches  and  in  all  their  technical  applications.  3d.  To  provide 


408         THE    MUSEUM    AND    ITS    HISTORY 

opportunities  and  means  for  giving  instruction  in  Drawing, 
Painting,  Modelling,  and  Designing,  with  their  industrial  ap- 
plications, through  lectures,  practical  schools,  and  a  special 
library." 

"...   the  Museum  was  founded  upon  a  very  broad  basis. 
Its  aims,  as  is  expressed  in  its  charter,  are  to  make,  maintain, 
and  exhibit  collections  of  works  of  art,  and  to 
afford  instruction  in  the  Fine  Arts:  as  expressed  theP°ncrease 
by  the  words  on  its  corporate  seal,  they  are,  '  Art,  of  the  Col- 
Industry,  Education';  as  implied  by  the  condi-  Annual  Re- 
tion  of  free  access  for  the  public  contained  in  the  Port'  lM3 
deed  of  its  land,  they  are  the  benefit  and  pleasure  of  the  whole 
community." 


"...  it  is  of  the  first  importance  that  our  collections 
should  attract,  interest,  and  instruct  the  public;  and  it  is  of 
an  importance  second  only  to  this  that  they  should  meet  the 
requirements  of  the  artist,  the  student,  the  designer,  and  the 
specialist  " 


"  In  using  our  space,  the  first  object  should  be  to  give  it  to 
those  things  which  have  the  greatest  interest  and  beauty;  the 
second,  to  secure  the  proportionate  growth  of  all  departments 
of  the  Museum." 


"  To  frame  a  scheme  for  the  purchase  of  original  works  is, 
however,  practicable  only  in  the  most  general  way.  We  must 
assume  as  the  foundation  of  it  that  the  Museum  is  to  be  M  hat 
its  name  expresses,  a  Museum  of  the  Fine  Arts;  that  its  pri- 
mary intention  is  to  collect  and  exhibit  the  best  obtainable 
works  of  genius  and  skill;  that  the  application  of  the  Fine 
Acts  to  industry  and  the  illustration  of  the  Fine  Arts  by 
archaeology  are  both  within  its  province,  but  that  neither  of 
these  is  its  first  object." 


HISTORICAL    DATA  409 

ORIGIN  AND  GROWTH 

In   1859,  eleven  years  before  the  incorporation  of  the  Mu- 
seum, the  Jarves  Collection  of  Italian  pictures,  now  in  New 

Haven,  had  been  offered  as  a  nucleus  for  a  public 
Foundation  museum  of  art  in  Boston,  but  the  project  had 

been  abandoned.  In  18(>9  several  circumstances 
combined  to  reawaken  interest  in  the  scheme.  The  Boston 
Athenaeum  had  received  a  bequest  of  armor  and  the  offer  of 
funds  for  a  room  wherein  to  exhibit  it.  The  Social  Science 
Association  had  conceived  the  idea  of  a  public  collection  of 
plaster  reproductions  of  sculpture.  Harvard  College  sought 
an  opportunity  to  make  its  collection  of  engravings  useful  to 
the  public.  The  Massachusetts  Institute  of  Technology  had 
no  sufficient  room  for  its  collection  of  architectural  casts.  In 
October,  1869,  representatives  of  these  organizations  united 
with  other  interested  persons  in  appealing  to  the  State  Legis- 
lature, which  early  in  the  following  year  established  a  public 
Museum  of  Fine  Arts  in  Boston  by  granting  the  present  char- 
ter. No  support  from  State  or  City  was  provided  for,  and  none 
has  ever  been  received,  the  only  gift  to  the  Museum  from  a 
public  source  being  the  plot  of  ground  on  Copley  Square 
occupied  by  the  first  building. 

Among  the  founders  of  the  Museum,  Martin  Brimmer,  its 
President  for  twenty-five  years  until  his  death  in  1895,  and 

Charles  C.  Perkins,  Honorary  Director  for  sixteen 
Founders  years  until  his  death  in  1888,  should  be  named 

first.  The  reports  and  published  addresses  of  both 
testify  to  their  high  conception  and  clear  grasp  of  the  essential 
purposes  of  the  Museum.  The  first  executive  officer  appointed 
was  General  Charles  G.  Loring,  a  veteran  of  the  Civil  War  and 
both  before  and  after  a  traveller  in  Egypt  and  student  of  Egyp- 
tology. General  Loring  remained  in  general  charge  of  the  Mu- 
seum for  twenty-six  years  as  Curator  and  afterward  Director, 
from  its  opening  in  18?<i  until  his  resignation  in  1903,  and  at 
his  death  a  few  months  later  was  Director  Emeritus. 

At  a  meeting   held    February  3,   1871,   in    Music    Hall,   a 


410        THE    MUSEUM    AND    ITS    HISTORY 

committee  was  appointed  to  solicit  subscriptions  for  a  Museum 
building.   The  amount  ultimately  obtained  was  $961,  000.    From 
a  number  of  competitive  designs  for  a  fireproof 
structure.  I  lie  plans  of  Sturgis  &  Brigham,  well-      Bunding 
known    architects  of  Boston,   were  selected.     A 
wing  of  the  building  was  dedicated  with  appropriate  ceremony 
on  July  S.  1S7<>,  and  on  the  next  day.  the  centennial  anniver- 
sary of  the  Declaration  of  Independence,  it  was  opened  to  the 
public.     The  collections  of  the  Museum,  both  gifts  and  loans, 
which  for  four  years  had  been  exhibited  in  two  rooms  at  the 
Athenaeum,  were  installed  in  the  new  structure. 

To  complete  the  front  of  the  building  another  popular  sub- 
scription was  called  for  in  18T8.  The  response  was  prompt  and 
generous.  In  1888  another  enlargement  of  the  building  became 
necessary.  The  amount  received  from  this  third  subscription 
enabled  the  Trustees  to  erect  two  wings  which,  with  a  connect- 
ing corridor,  completed  a  quadrangle.  The  enlarged  building 
was  opened  in  1890,  the  contents  rearranged;  on  the  first  floor, 
the  collections  of  Egyptian  and  Classical  antiquities,  with 
casts  of  antique  and  Renaissance  sculpture;  on  the  second,  the 
collections  of  paintings,  minor  arts  of  Europe,  and  Oriental 
art. 

For  many  years  the  Museum  was  without  funds  for  purchases. 
notwithstanding  the  utmost  economy  in  administration.  The 
exhibits  of  this  period  consisted  almost  entirely  of 
loans.  Later  both  bequests  and  gifts  were  received. 
Henry  L.  Pierce,  Catherine  C.  Perkins,  Julia  B.  H. 
James,  Harvey  D.  Parker,  George  B.  Hyde,  and  a  number  of 
others,  left  large  sums  to  the  Museum,  and  those  benefactions 
have  been  continued  by  the  bequests  of  R.  C.  Billings,  C.  H. 
Hayden,  Sarah  W.  Whitman,  Martin  Brimmer,  and  others. 
Within  the  ten  years  ending  in  190-1-  the  free  use  of  funds  avail- 
able for  purchases  more  than  doubled  the  value  of  the  collec- 
tions belonging  to  the  Museum. 

The  collections  of  Egyptian  Art  now  embrace  sculptures,  in- 
cluding royal  statues  from  the  Mycerinus  Pyramid  Temple  at 
Gizeh,  obtained  in  the  course  of  recent  excavations  by  the 


j 


HISTORICAL    DATA  411 

Harvard  University-Museum  of  Fine  Arts  Exploring  Expedi- 
tion; smaller  objects,  including  cut  leather  garment  of  1850 
B.  C.,  gold  ornaments,  tiles.  The  collections 
of  ('lassit>;l1  Art  embrace  sculptures,  including 
the  Three-sided  Relief  (fifth  century),  Head  of 
Aphrodite,  female  head  from  Chios  (fourth  century).  Head 
of  Homer  (Hellenistic);  terra-cottas.  including  portrait  head 
(Roman);  vases,  bronzes,  coins,  and  gems,  including  Marl- 
borough  cameo  (Graeco-Rotnan).  The  collections  of  Chinese 
and  Japanese  Art  embrace  sculptures  of  wood,  bronze,  marble, 
and  lacquer  from  the  fifth  century  to  the  present  time;  paint- 
ings, including  the  Hokke  Mandara  (eighth  century)  and  the 
Ileiji  Monogatari  Roll  (thirteenth  century);  early  Chinese 
pottery;  Chinese  bronze  mirrors,  swords,  and  lesser  works  in 
sculptured  iron,  bronze,  silver,  and  gold;  lacquers,  porcelains. 
The  collections  of  paintings  embrace  Spanish,  Italian,  Flemish, 
Dutch.  French,  F.nglish.  and  American  examples,  including 
Don  Halta/ar  Carlos  and  His  Dwarf,  Velasquez;  Slave  Ship, 
Turner;  Watson  and  the  Shark,  Copley;  Athenaeum  Heads  of 
Cieorge  Washington  and  Martha  Washington,  Stuart.  In  the 
other  collect  ions  of  Western  Art  the  collections  of  Mohammedan 
art.  embrace  pottery,  including  the  Sears  Persian  lustre  bowl 
(thirteenth  century),  Persian  illuminations,  Persian  rugs,  and 
velvets.  The  collections  of  Kuropean  Art  embrace  textiles,  in- 
cluding Flemish  tapestries  (fifteenth  and  early  sixteenth  cen- 
turies); sculpture,  including  Head  of  Ceres,  by  Auguste  Rodin; 
smaller  objects,  including  Paul  Revere  silver.  The  collection 
of  Prints  consists  of  (it). ooo  examples.  The  collection  of  Plaster 
Casts  contains  several  hundred  casts  from  Greek,  Roman,  and 
Italian  Renaissance  sculpture.  The  Library  contains  14,035 
volumes.  7.419  pamphlets,  and  :H.:W5  photographs;  all  chosen 
with  special  reference  to  the  Museum  collections  and  intended 
for  the  use  of  both  Staff  and  public. 

For  several  \eai-s  after  the  building  was  opened,  the  adminis- 
trative  work  of  the  Museum  was  performed  by  the  Director  and 
the  Secretary  with  a  small  number  of  assistants.  In  1885  two 
of  the  departments  were  placed  in  charge  of  men  of  special 


412         THK    MUSEUM    AND    ITS    HISTORY 

competence      Since  that  time  numerous  additions  have  been 
made  to  the  staff  of  trained  men  upon  whose  judgment  the  Trus- 
tees have  relied  in  the  choice  of  acquisitions  and 
the  arrangement  of  exhibits,  and  to  whom  the  pub-  £o™inistr** 
lie  have  come  to  look  for  aid  in  the  understanding 
of  the  collections.     To  the  band  of  active-minded  and  devoted 
scholars  who  are  or  have  been  identified  directly  or  indirectly 
with  its  interests,  the  Museum  owes  much  of  its  present  stand- 
ing abroad   and   influence  at  home.      In    1  !)<)<>   Visiting  Com- 
mittees to  the  Departments  of  the  Museum  were  appointed. 
and    in    1908    Advisory    Committees    upon    branches    of    its 
activity. 

The  development  of  the  methods  of  the  Museum  has  kept 
pace  with  the  growth  of  its  means.     The  Museum  has  sought 
to  attain  its  first  charter  purpose  —  that  of  pro- 
tecting works  of  art  from  destruction  and  oblivion    Methods  of 

Public 
in  a  special  building  —  by  providing  in  the  new    Service 

structure  (1909)  the  best  conditions  of  safety;  by 
arranging  therein  exhibition  galleries  in  which  each  object  is 
shown  to  the  best  possible  advantage;  by  stimulating  public 
interest  through  alternative  exhibitions  drawn  from  collections 
held  in  reserve;  and  by  promoting  understanding  of  the  ob- 
jects shown,  through  both  oral  and  printed  interpretation. 
The  methods  of  oral  interpretation  employed  include  Gallery 
Conferences  (since  January,  1908)  by  officers  of  the  Museum 
and  other  competent  persons  on  objects  shown  at  the  time;  the 
assignment  of  these  and  other  speakers  under  the  title  of  Docent 
(since  April,  1907)  to  the  duty  of  meeting  visitors  singly  or  in 
groups  in  the  galleries  to  give  information  about  the  exhibits. 
The  Sunday  Docent  Service  (since  January,  1908)  includes 
guidance,  talks,  and  department  circuits  offered  by  profes- 
sional men  and  others  of  special  training.  Printed  aids  to  un- 
derstanding the  collections  include  labels  and  chart  books  in  the 
galleries,  a  Handbook  (first  edition,  August,  1906),  Bulletin 
(first  issue.  March,  1903),  and  other  publications;  photographs 
(since  May,  1882),  postal  cards  (since  1907),  and  half-tones  illus- 
trating Museum  objects  sold  at  the  door;  teachers'  lists  (since 


HISTORICAL    DATA  4 '3 

1908)  of  objects  relating  to  historical  periods  and  teachers'  loan 
collections  of  photographs  and  lantern  slides. 

The  Museum  has  sought  to  attain  its  second  charter  purpose 
—  that  of  imparting  knowledge  and  skill  in  the  field  of  fine  art  — 
by  maintaining  a  library  of  fine  art  (since  1877);  by  giving  free 
admission  to  students  and  copyists  (since  1876):  by  providing 
in  its  new  building  (1909)  reserve  galleries  in  which  each  object 
can  be  studied  to  the  best  advantage;  by  offering  special  stu- 
dents opportunities  for  work  in  the  Department  offices  (since 
1887);  by  publishing  catalogues  of  permanent  value(since  1887); 
by  arranging  courses  of  lectures  on  subjects  germane  to  the  col- 
lections (since  1892,  University  Extension  courses  since  1908J; 
by  establishing  a  public  inventory  of  works  of  art  outside  the 
Museum,  interesting  and  accessible  to  the  Boston  public,  under 
the  title  of  a  Registry  of  Local  Art  (since  October,  1909);  and 
by  giving  the  best  instruction  practicable  in  the  arts  of  drawing, 
painting,  modelling,  and  designing  in  the  School  of  the  Mu- 
seum (classes  begun  1876;  reorganized  as  the  School  of  the 
Museum,  1901). 

Three  circumstances  led  the  Trustees  in  1899  to  consider 
seeking  a  new  site  and  erecting  a  new  building  —  the  inad- 
equacy of  the  Copley  Square  building  and  lot  for 

Studies  for      the  future  accommodation  of  the  Museum,  the 

the  New 

Museum  danger  of  fire  from  high  neighboring  structures, 

and  the  obstruction  of  light  thereby.  The  grounds 
on  which  the  present  Museum  stands,  covering  twelve  acres 
fronting  on  Huntington  Avenue  and  the  r'enway,  were  pur- 
chased by  vote  of  the  Board  on  December  5,  1899.  On  April 
22,  190-2,  the  sale  of  the  Copley  Square  property  was  effected 
and  on  May  27  a  Building  Committee  was  appointed,  under 
the  Chairmanship  of  Samuel  D.  Warren,  "with  full  powers 
to  procure  plans,  specifications,  and  estimates  for  Museum 
buildings  on  the  Fenway  land." 

At  a  number  of  meetings  of  the  Building  Committee  the 
question  of  a  competition  of  architects  was  carefully  considered, 
the  decision  of  the  Committee  being  to  select  two  architects 
who  should  report  a  building  scheme  without  prejudice  to  the 


THE    MUSEUM    AND    ITS    HISTORY 

right  of  the  Trustees  to  proceed  thereafter  as  they  might  elect. 
In  accordance  with  this  decision,  the  Committee  in  the  follow- 
ing November  commissioned  Mr.  II.  Clipston  Sturgis  in  con- 
sultation with  Mr.  Edmund  M.  Wheelwright  to  collaborate 
with  the  Committee  and  the  Staff  of  the  Museum  in  studying 
the  possibilities  of  the  Fenway  site  and  in  formulating  a  possi- 
ble solution  of  the  building  problem  both  in  writing  and  by 
drawings  and  sketches.  In  order  to  the  best  utilization  of  the 
property,  the  Trustees  asked  and  obtained  from  the  city  a 
change  in  the  layout  of  Huntington  entrance  anil  the  Fenway, 
replacing  its  original  curves  by  rectangular  outlines. 

The  series  of  studies  which  have  ended  in  the  present  plan 
were  begun  in  January,  190'.},  and  actively  prosecuted.  They 
are  recorded  in  several  scores  of  progressively  changing  skrt en- 
plans  based  on  many  hundred  detail  drawings,  and  their  direct 
written  result  includes,  besides  reports  from  Messrs.  Stnrgis 
and  Wheelwright  and  from  others,  two  volumes  entitled 
"  Communications  to  the  Trustees  regarding  the  new  build- 
ing "  Nos.  1  and  2,  privately  printed  in  March  and  December, 
1904,  and  containing,  with  extracts  from  recent  literature  on 
museum  construction  and  administration,  papers  contributed 
by  officers  of  the  Museum.  In  December.  1903,  the  Building 
Committee,  with  the  approval  of  the  Trustees,  commissioned 
the  architects  and  the  Director  to  study  European  museums. 
Accompanied  by  the  President  of  the  Museum,  the  party  spent 
the  following  three  months  (January  to  April,  1904)  in  Europe, 
visiting  one  hundred  and  four  museums  and  galleries  in  thirty 
cities.  An  illustrated  volume  containing  reports  of  observa- 
tions by  Messrs.  Sturgis  and  Wheelwright,  architects,  was 
privately  printed  in  January,  1905,  as  No.  3  of  Communica- 
tions to  the  Trustees.  During  the  summer  of  1903  the  Com- 
mittee authorized  the  erection  of  a  temporary  structure  on  the 
Fenway  site  for  the  purpose  of  experiments  in  the  lighting  of 
galleries.  The  work  was  conducted  at  first  under  the  super- 
vision of  Professor  Charles  L.  Norton  of  the  Institute  of 
Technology,  and  later  in  the  immediate  charge  of  Mr.  W.  R. 
McCornack,  in  co-operation  with  Messrs.  Sturgis  and  Wheel- 


HISTORICAL    DATA  415 

wripht,  architects,  and  with  the  committees  and  officers  of  the 
Museum.  Experiments  were  continued  for  two  years,  and  in 
January,  1906,  an  illustrated  volume  entitled  "The  Experi- 
mental Gallery,"  embodying  the  results  of  the  tests  made, 
was  privately  printed  as  No.  4  of  Communications  to  the 
Trustees. 

In  October,  1905,  the  Building  Committee  requested  and 
received  from  Professor  D.  Despradelle  of  the  Institute  of 
Technology  a  criticism  of  the  studies  for  the  new  building 
made  since  190,'?,  which  included  sketch-plans  submitted  by 
officers  of  the  Museum  during  the  preceding  summer  at  the 
instance  of  the  Committee.  Three  months  later,  in  January, 

1906,  the  Committee  presented  to  the  Trustees  a  unanimous 
report,  accompanied  by  a  sketch-plan,  elevations,  and  a  per- 
spective, drawn  by  Professor  Despradelle,  and  recommended 
that  instead  of  instituting  a  competition  the  Trustees  should 
appoint  Mr.  Guy  Lowell  as  architect  of  the  building,  with 
Messrs.  E.  M.  Wheelwright,  R.  C.  Sturgis,  and  D.  Despradelle 
as  consulting  architects,  to  carry  out  the  design  in  substantial 
compliance  with  the  general  requirements  of  the  Committee 
as  elaborated  during  the  previous  three  years.     The  Trustees 
responded  by  authorizing  the  Committee  to  obtain  plans  in 
general  accordance  witli  their  recommendations,  and  on  the 
19th  of  the  following  July  the  Committee  presented  to  the 
Trustees  plans,  elevations,  sections,  and  a  perspective  prepared 
by  Mr.   Lowell.     These  were  accepted  and  adopted  by  the 
Trustees,  who,  at  a  subsequent  meeting  held   February  4, 

1907.  authorized  the  signing  of  a  contract  for  that  part  of  the 
structure  which  had   been  planned   in  detail  for  immediate 
erection. 

On  April  11  ground  was  broken.  On  July  18  Mr.  Warren 
resigned  the  Chairmanship  of  the  Building  Committee,  re- 
maining a  member;  and  Mr.  Henry  S.  Hunnewell,  a  member 
of  the  Committee  from  the  beginning,  was  appointed  in  his 
stead.  Two  years  and  four  months  later,  November  15,  1909, 
the  building  was  opened  to  the  public. 

The  total  cost  of  the  new  Museum  was  about  $2.900.000. 


416        THE    MUSEUM    AND    ITS    HISTORY 

The  sum  of  $1,200,000  was  expended  for  land  and  improve- 
ments, $1,600.000  for  the  building  itself,  and  $100,000  for 
gloving  and  installation.  These  expenditures  have  born  de- 
frayed from  the  proceeds  ot  the  sale  of  the  old  building 
(11,750,000),  contributions  from  private  individuals  ($600,000), 
and  appropriations  from  the  Museum  endowment  (about 
$500.000).  The  building  contains  eight  structurally  scpnr;i It- 
departments, —  Egyptian  Art,  Classical  Art,  Western  (Euro- 
pean and  Mohammedan)  Art,  Chinese  and  Japanese  Art, 
Pictures,  Prints,  Casts,  and  Library,  —  the  main  floor  bt-ing 
chiefly  devoted  to  exhibitions  historically  arranged  and  in- 
stalled to  show  each  object  to  the  best  advantage,  and  the 
ground  floor  to  reserve  collections  accessible  to  all  visitors  and 
to  study  and  administration  rooms;  both  floors  being  abun- 
dantly lighted,  mostly  by  high  windows.  An  area  of  fll.^^J 
square  feet  of  floor  space  is  devoted  to  primary  exhibition  pur- 
poses and  8-2,437  square  feet  to  reserve  collections,  offices, 
workrooms,  etc. 

Plans  for  the  eventual  development  of  the  Fenway  property 
contemplate  buildings  covering  the  entire  site.     These  consist 
of  the  completed  Museum  to  the  east,  a  building 
to  the  northwest  for  casts  from  sculpture,  and    Jhe    . 

Completed 
another  to  the  southwest  for  the  School  of  the    Museum 

Museum,  replacing  the  present  provisional  struc- 
ture.    The  gift  from  Mrs.  Robert  Dawson  Evans  in  May,  1911, 
of  that  portion  of  the  Fenway  front  designed  as  a  picture 
gallery  assures   the  completion   of  the   Museum   in   general 
accordance  with  the  original  plans. 

In  the  completed  Museum  the  present  Rotunda  on  the  main 
floor,  reached  by  the  stairway  from  the  entrance,  will  be  about 
equally  distant  from  the  centre  of  the  principal  departments. 
Straight  on  northward  a  gallery  for  tapestries  will  lead  to  the 
Picture  Gallery  lying  east  and  west  on  the  Fenway.  The  pres- 
ent Picture  Galleries  or  the  adjacent  corridors  will  then  give 
access  eastward  to  the  wing  on  Huntington  Avenue,  then 
devoted  entirely  to  Egyptian  Art,  and  to  a  future  block  on 
Huntington  entrance  to  be  devoted  to  Classical  Art;  and 


HISTORICAL    DATA 


417 


41 8         THE    MUSEUM    AND    ITS    HISTORY 

westward  to  the  wing  on  Huntington  Avenue,  then  devoted 
wholly  to  Chinese  and  Japanese  Art,  and  to  a  new  interior  block 
to  be  devoted  to  Western  Art.  From  the  lobby  of  the  future 
Picture  Gallery  on  the  Fenway  an  interior  corridor,  continued 
as  an  external  loggia  fronting  northward,  will  lead  east  and 
west  to  galleries  accessible  either  through  existing  Depart- 
ments, and  hence  available  for  their  extension,  or  through 
corridors  only,  and  hence  available  for  new  Departments. 

Four  principles  of  arrangement  determined  the  plan  of  the 
completed  building,  and  have  been  adhered  to  as  far  as  possible 
in  housing  the  collections  and  work  of  the  Museum  in  the 
present  fraction  of  the  whole  design. 

Division  in  Plan.  The  building  is  not  a  single  museum,  but  a 
group  of  several,  each  devoted  to  collections  of  one  origin  or  of 
one  character,  and  each  accessible  without  traversing  any  other. 

Separation  by  Resting  Places.  The  grounds  and  open  courts 
of  the  building,  the  halls  and  loggias  connecting  the  depart- 
ments, offer  opportunities  for  relaxation  and  diversion  among 
surroundings  either  of  natural  beauty  or  of  architectural 
dignity. 

Division  in  Elevation.  Almost  the  entire  main  floor  is  de- 
voted to  exhibition,  while  a  large  part  of  the  ground  floor  is 
devoted  to  rooms  for  study  and  for  objects  arranged  compactly 
for  preservation,  both  study  and  store  rooms  being  open  to  the 
public  upon  application. 

Oblique  Illumination.  Most  of  the  galleries  are  lighted  by 
high  windows  instead  of  from  overhead,  and  the  size  and  ar- 
rangement of  both  windows  and  skylights  throughout  the 
building  are  the  fruit  of  observation  and  experiment  directed 
to  securing  ample  and  well-directed  illumination  in  all  parts  of 
every  room. 

These  four  provisions  aim  to  obviate  recognized  hindrances 
to  the  fullest  effect  of  museum  collections  upon  the  visitor. 
The  separation  of  departments  prevents  confusion  and  distrac- 
tion of  thought;  intermediate  resting  places  forestall  fatigue 
of  body  and  mind;  opportunities  for  instruction  render  the 
exhibits  comprehensible;  well  designed  light  openings  make 
them  visible.  The  plans  permit  of  meeting  a  fifth  hindrance- 


HISTORICAL    DATA 


419 


420        THE    MUSEUM    AND    ITS    HISTORY 

to  the  vital  influence  of  museums  —  that  of  their  sameness  of 
attraction  —  by  providing  opportunities  for  the  alternation  of 
exhibits  on  the  two  floors,  and  for  occasions  having  to  do 
with  the  collections  —  conferences,  meetings,  social  gather- 
ings, even  plays  or  concerts  —  in  the  halls  and  gardens  of  the 
building. 

The  Museum  in  its  second  home  promises  the  city  a  new 
agency  of  spiritual  well  being;  not  dedicated  to  discipline  of 
mind  or  direction  of  conscience,  like  a  school  or  a  church,  but, 
like  the  shrine  of  the  Muses  whence  it  takes  its  name,  sacred 
to  the  nurture  of  the  imagination. 


DenotoH   ovont  GfaMtrist  fur  Paintings 

Fenway  Front 


CHRONOLOGY  42' 

CHRONOLOGY 

THE  MUSEUM   INCORPORATED  FKHKI:AHY  4,    1870 
DEPARTMENTS 

The  Museum  placed  under  the  general  charge  and  manage- 
ment of  a  Curator  (afterward  Director)  January  -21,  1876. 

Library  organized  July  17,  1879. 

Print  Department  established  February  1,  1887. 

Department  of  Classical  Antiquities  established  March  1, 
1887. 

Japanese  Department  established  March  15,  1890.  The  title 
changed  to  "  Department  of  Chinese  and  Japanese  Art"  April 
28,  1903. 

The  name  of  the  School  of  Drawing  and  Painting  (maintained 
since  January  -2,  1877,  in  the  Museum  building)  changed  to 
"School  of  the  Museum  of  Fine  Arts"  October  17,  1901. 

Keepership  of  Paintings  instituted  August  1,  190-2. 

Department  of  Egyptian  Art  created  September  15,  190-2. 

Honorary  Curatorship  of  Western  Art  (except  paintings  and 
textiles)  created  April  21,  1910. 

Curatorship  of  Painting  created  May  11,  1911. 

LAND   AND   BUILDINGS 

Land  on  Copley  Square  given  by  the  City  May  26,  1870. 

\\Yst  wing  upon  Copley  Square  opened  to  the  public  July 
3,  1876. 

Completed  front  on  Copley  Square  opened  July  1,  1879. 

Southern  corridor  and  connecting  wings  opened  March  18. 
1890. 

Land  on  the  Fenway  purchased  December,  1899. 

Land  and  buildings  on  Copley  Square  sold  April  22,  1902. 

Ground  broken  for  the  New  Building  April  11,  19O7. 

New  Building  opened  November  15,  1909. 

Robert  Dawson  Evans  Galleries  for  Paintings  opened 
February  3,  1915. 


422         THE    MUSEUM    AND    ITS    HISTORY 


Location  of  the  Museum  Buildings 


T.  O.  Mctcalf  Company,  lioston,  U.  S.  A. 


This  booK  is  DUE  01 
date  stamped  b 


5w-2,'31 


The  exhibition  galleries  of  the  Print  Department  and  the 
gallery  of  Water  Colors  are  on  the  entrance  floor  on  either  side 
the  vestibule  of  the  Evans  building.  The  rest  of  the  entrance 
floor  is  occupied  by  secondary  collections  and  offices. 

Not  all  the  contents  of  the  Museum  can  be  shown  at 
once.  Each  department  possesses  a  larger  or  smaller 
reserve  collection  which  may  be  drawn  upon  for  alter- 
native exhibition  in  the  main  galleries.  Persons  especially 
interested  are  welcome  in  the  department  offices  for 
conference  with  the  officers  and  study  of  objects  not 
shown  at  the  time. 

On  the  opposite  plan  the  offices  are  indicated  as  follows: 

Administration A      Western  Art WA 

Secretary  of  the  Museum,    S  Egyptian  Art    .    .    .    ,    .  E 

Prints Pr      Textile  Study Tx 

Classical  Art Cl      Paintings Pa 

Chinese  and  Japanese  Art,  Superintendent    of    the 

C&J          Building SB 

Catalogues  and  Photographs CP 

Office  hours,  11  to  12.30  and,  except  on  Saturdays,  2  to  3 
P.  M.  The  Library,  the  Textile  Study,  and  the  offices  of  the 
Department  of  Prints  and  the  Superintendent  of  the  Building 
are  open  during  Museum  hours. 

Apply  at  the  office  of  the  Administration  for  tickets  issued 
to  artists,  teachers,  and  students,  and  for  Docent  appointments. 

The  Lecture  Hall  is  on  the  entrance  floor,  and  is  entered 
from  the  Crypt  beyond  the  main  stairway. 

The  Forecourt  Room  at  the  Huntington  Avenue  entrance, 
reached  through  the  Catalogue  office,  is  occupied  from  time  to 
time  by  Temporary  Exhibitions. 


000  452  495 


GROUND   FLOOR    PLAN 

UNIVERSITY  of  CALIFORNIA 

^ 

LOS  AJNGELBS 
LIBRARY 


